Indonesian Flight SJY182 Jakarta-Pontianak Missing, Debris Found In Water

Flightradar24 says the plane went missing 4 minutes after takeoff.

Pic by PK-REN )PK-REN - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pkaren/39283339542/) via Wikimedia

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Indonesian aviation authorities lost contact with domestic flight Sriwijaya Air Flight 182, which took off from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta at around 3.30pm (Malaysia time) on Saturday, 9 January 2021, en route to Pontianak.

Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), in a press conference, said they have found debris in the water between Pulau Laki and Pulau Lancang which is likely, but not confirmed, to be from the plane.

Deputy for Operations at BASARNAS, Major General TNI Bambang Suryo Aji said the water there is between 20 and 23 metres deep.

He said search and rescue efforts could continue through the night, though this depended on the feasibility of conducting such efforts in the dark.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 tweeted that the flight lost more than 3,000 metres of altitude in less than a minute four minutes after taking off.

This is what we know about Sriwijaya Air flight #SJ182 based on ADS-B data.

Route: Jakarta to Pontianak
Callsign: SJY182
Aircraft: Boeing 737-500, PK-CLC
Take off: 07:36 UTC
Highest altitude: 10,900 feet
Last altitude: 250 feet
Signal lost: 07:40 UTChttps://t.co/fNZqlIR2dz pic.twitter.com/CPzFJdsuJZ
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 9, 2021

Sriwijaya Air said there are 62 people – consisting of 50 passengers (40 adults, 7 children and 3 infants) and 12 airline staff (6 of which were on active duty, the other 6 as passengers) – onboard the flight which is a 27 year old Boeing 737-500.

Media Statement: Informasi Penerbangan Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 pic.twitter.com/6TwW1iMglm
— Sriwijaya Air (@SriwijayaAir) January 9, 2021

According to the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, no Malaysians are on board the flight. Indonesian authorities have also said that all those on board are Indonesians.

The Jakarta – Pontianak route usually takes 90 minutes.

The Boeing 737-500 is a twin-engined short-to-medium-range narrowbody airliner with a maximum capacity of 132 passengers produced by the American manufacturer Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

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Hamzah Nazari

Hamzah Nazari is a Malaysian journalist and editor with experience covering politics, current affairs, investigative reporting, and digital media. Currently the Head of Editorial for The Rakyat Post, he previously reported for Malay Mail, where his work focused on Malaysian politics and public policy. Over the years, he has written opinion pieces, breaking news, and feature stories spanning governance, technology, culture, and social issues, earning a reputation for accessible, sharp, and distinctly Malaysian storytelling.