BREAKING NEWS: Indonesian Trigana flight TGN267 carrying 54 people disappears while flying in remote Papua region 

• Indonesian rescue agencies are hunting for missing flight TGN267
• Lost contact around 6am GMT after taking off from Sentani airport
• Went missing over easternmost Papua region, failed to land in Oksibil
• Officials say 44 adults on board, five crew and five children and infants 
• Search efforts hindered by bad weather over mountainous Papua region 

By Imogen Calderwood For Mailonline

Published: 04:21 EST, 16 August 2015 | Updated: 09:02 EST, 16 August 2015

Indonesian search and rescue agencies are hunting for a passenger plane that went missing in bad weather over the remote eastern region of Papua, with 54 people on board.

The plane, flight number TGN267, failed to arrive at its destination of Oksibil after contact was lost with the plane, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS).

According to the agency's official Twitter account the domestic aircraft, belonging to the Indonesian Trigana Air Service, was carrying 44 adult passengers, five crew and five children and infants.

But the search efforts are being hindered by stormy weather over the mountainous and remote region, and have been suspended until the morning.

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Hunt: Indonesian search and rescue agencies are hunting for a Trigana passenger plane (similar to the one pictured) that went missing over the remote eastern Papua region, with 54 people on board

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Search area: The plane took off from Sentani airport in the region's capital Jayapura on a flight to Oksibil, located south of the city, but failed to arrive at its destination

The Trigana Air ATR 42-300 turboprop plane took off from Sentani airport in the region's capital Jayapura on a flight to Oksibil, located south of the city. 

Oksibil is a remote settlement in the mountains, which is only accessible by plane. 

Locals of Okbape village reported seeing a plane flying very low before crashing into the mountains, and around 150 rescuers have headed to the area.

But the search effort has been suspended until day break, as bad weather and darkness were making the search impossible.

An air search for the missing plane has also been suspended until morning.

The plane is reported to have lost contact 33 minutes after take-off, just before 3.00pm (6.00am GMT).

The flight between Sentani airport and Oksibil should take around 45 minutes.  

Just 10 minutes before it was due to land, the missing plane contacted Oksibil control tower asking to descend, according to Captain Beni Sumaryanto, Trigana Air’s service director of operations.

But the plane never arrived, and there was no indication the pilot made a distress call.

Half an hour later, Trigana Air sent another turboprop plane over the same route to look for the missing aircraft.

‘But the weather was very bad, it could not find it and the plane was turned back to Sentani,’ he added.

‘Oksibil is a mountainous area where weather is very unpredictable. It can suddenly turn foggy, dark and windy without warning.

‘We strongly suspect it’s a weather issue. It is not overcapacity, as the plane could take 50 passengers.’ 

Transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata confirmed the plane had lost contact and said it was supposed to arrive at Oksibil airport just after 3:00 pm.

'We are not sure what happened to the plane yet and we are coordinating with local authorities,' he told AFP.

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Concern: Inside the Trigana Air offices today, after a plane carrying 54 people went missing after take-off

 

Indonesian Trigana air stewardess discusses missing flight

 

 

'The weather is currently very bad there, it's very dark and cloudy. It's not conducive for a search. The area is mountainous.' 

The weather was poor near Oksibil, with heavy rain, strong winds and fog, when the plane lost contact with the airport nine minutes before it was scheduled to land, said Susanto, the head of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency.

Much of Papua is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. Some planes that have crashed there in the past have never been found.  

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Treacherous: Indonesia's Papua region is a mountainous area where weather is extremely unpredictable, according to Trigana officials. The rescue efforts have been hindered by continuing bad weather and suspended until the morning

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Dense: The area where the plane went missing is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. Some planes that have crashed there in the past have never been found

Dudi Sudibyo, an aviation analyst, said that Papua is a particularly dangerous place to fly because of its mountainous terrain and rapidly changing weather patterns. "I can say that a pilot who is capable of flying there will be able to fly an aircraft in any part of the world," he said. 

The government has reported that it is coordinating with other authorities to implement the search operation.  

Small aircraft are commonly used for transport in remote, mountainous Papua, and bad weather has caused several accidents in recent years.

On Wednesday, a Cessna propeller plane operated by Indonesian company Komala Air crashed in Papua's Yahukimo district, killing one person and seriously injuring the five others on board.

An AirAsia passenger jet crashed en route from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore last December, killing all 162 people on board. The crash prompted the government to introduce regulations aimed at improving safety.

Indonesia's president promised a review of the ageing air force fleet in July after a military transport plane crashed in the north of the country, killing more than 100 people. 

More to follow.  

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3199842/Rescuers-launch-search-Indonesian-aircraft-carrying-54-people-goes-missing.html#ixzz3izG8ASIg
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