Indonesian aircraft with 62 on board missing

By Muhammad Latief

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - An Indonesian passenger aircraft with 62 people on board lost contact with air traffic controllers on Saturday after taking off from the capital Jakarta.

The Sriwijaya Air flight SJY 182 flying from Jakarta to Pontianak, the capital of the province of West Kalimantan, lost contact at 2.40 p.m. local time (0740GMT), said Transportation Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawat.

Authorities are currently investigating and coordinating with the National Search and Rescue Agency and the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC).

According to initial reports, on board were 56 passengers, two pilots and four crew members.

Sriwijaya Air spokeswoman Theodora Erika said the company is working to get more detailed information about the flight and will release an official statement later.

According to FlightRadar24, a flight tracker website, it lost more than 3,048 meters (10,000 feet) in altitude in less than a minute.

*With contributions by Maria Elisa Hospita