Sriwijaya Air aircraft carrying out Flight SJ182 disappeared from radars shortly after takeoff from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on January 9, 2021.

The airline's Boeing 737, registered as PK-CLC, took off from Jakarta Soekarno Hatta International Airport (CGK) at 07:35 UTC on January 9, 2021. The flight SJ188 was en route to Pontianak Supadio Airport (PNK), Indonesia. Reportedly, there were over 50 people on board.

Approximately five minutes after takeoff, as it was over the Java Sea, the aircraft lost altitude and plunged down by 10,000 feet in less than a minute, FlightRadar.com data shows. The aircraft disappeared from radars. Local authorities have launched search and rescue effort.

According to the Thousand Islands Regent Junaedi, the plane could have crashed near Laki Island, an uninhabited islet in the administrative region of the Pulau Tidung village.

Update | Sriwijaya Air confirmed that the flight SJ182 from Jakarta to Pontianak has lost contact as of 14:40 (local time) on January 9, 2021. In a statement, the air carrier also clarified the number of people who were on board the aircraft, stating there were 6 crew members, 40 adult passengers, 7 children, 3 babies and 6 crew members travelling as passengers. “Our prayers are with all passengers, crew and their families,” the statement read.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation confirmed that the aircraft lost contact around the waters of Laki Island, in the Thousand Islands archipelago. The authority expressed condolences for the “tragedy that befell the Sriwijaya SJ182 plane on the Jakarta-Pontianak route”.

The country’s Navy has found the location of the missing airliner, media reports indicate.

The aircraft in question was a 26 year-old Boeing 737-500, which first entered service with Continental Air Lines in 1994. Sriwijaya Air took delivery of the airplane in May 2012. 

Sriwijaya Air is Indonesia’s third largest airline. It operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet, currently standing at 19 aircraft.

This is a developing story. We are updating this article when new information becomes available.

The main picture shows the Boeing 737 PK-CLC Sepinggan Airport, Indonesia, in June 2019.