JAKARTA: An Indonesian search team on Tuesday found the wreckage of a cargo plane along with the bodies of four crew members in a mountainous part of the country, a government official said.
The Caribou plane lost contact Monday with air traffic control during what was supposed to be a short flight in the remote eastern province of Papua, prompting a search and rescue mission in the rugged area.
“The aircraft was destroyed,” transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said, adding the bodies had been removed from the crash site.
Indonesia has a poor aviation safety record and Papua is a particularly problematic place to fly due to its mountainous terrain and frequent poor weather.
The Caribou set off from the city of Timika on Monday at 7:57 am (2257 GMT Sunday) and was headed to Ilaga, a farming community located in the mountains, according to the transport ministry.
The plane contacted air traffic control in Ilaga at 8:23 am saying that it was due to land in a few minutes but never arrived.
Officials said the aircraft, reportedly carrying construction materials, sent an emergency signal before losing contact.
The plane is part of the Caribou DHC-4 family of cargo aircraft which only need a small space for takeoff and landing.
A passenger plane operated by Indonesian carrier Trigana crashed in the Papua region in bad weather in August last year, killing all 54 passengers and crew aboard.
