Indonesia: Wreckage of missing plane found
The Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 at the international Paris Air Show in 2009. An SSJ 100 has gone missing over Indonesia in the middle of a demonstration flight.
The wreckage of a Russian-made passenger jet that disappeared during a demonstration flight in western Indonesia yesterday has been found.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Indonesian correspondent reported an official as saying that a helicopter team has spotted wreckage on the slopes of Mount Salak, which is described as an eroded volcano south of the capital Jakarta.
The plane disappeared from radar screens shortly after leaving Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta for what should have been a brief flight near the city of Bogor.
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"The helicopter just informed us that they spotted the wreckage," Maj. Ali Umri Lubis, of Atang Sanjaya Air base is quoted as saying by Associated Press. "It was at about 5,000 feet. The condition of the wreckage is still unclear."
Earlier today, AFP reported that Indonesian rescuers had stepped up their search for the Sukhoi Superjet, and a team of 40 rescuers were sent to Mount Salak this morning.
No information has yet been released about the fate of around 50 people onboard, which include eight Russian pilots and technicians, Indonesian airline representatives and journalists, according to the BBC.
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