ATR 42 Black Box Sent to Jakarta After Deadly South Sulawesi Crash

Indonesia’s aviation accident investigators have transferred the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from a crashed ATR 42-500 aircraft to Jakarta, marking a key step in determining the cause of the fatal accident in South Sulawesi.

The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) confirmed that the so-called black box from the Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) turboprop has been sent to the agency’s flight recorder laboratory in Jakarta for data download and analysis.

KNKT chairman Soerjanto Tjahjono said the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were handed over by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in Makassar on Wednesday, January 21, and transported to Jakarta the following day.

“The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder are now being taken to the KNKT flight recorder office in Jakarta for data downloading and analysis,” Soerjanto said in a statement.

The FDR contains technical flight parameters such as altitude, airspeed, engine performance, and aircraft configuration, while the CVR records cockpit conversations and ambient sounds. Investigators will use the information to reconstruct the final moments of the flight and identify any technical, environmental, or operational factors that may have contributed to the crash.

Soerjanto said the black box data will be analysed alongside other evidence gathered by KNKT investigators, including air traffic control records, information from the aircraft operator, and witness statements from individuals near the crash site. Two KNKT investigators were previously deployed to South Sulawesi to collect preliminary data.

Under Indonesian regulations, KNKT must publish a preliminary investigation report within 30 days of an accident. The report will summarise initial findings and will be made available on the agency’s website and shared with relevant stakeholders. Soerjanto stressed that the investigation’s sole purpose is to improve aviation safety, not to assign blame or legal responsibility.

“The KNKT investigation is conducted to determine the cause of the accident and to issue safety recommendations,” he said.

Separately, Colonel Dody Triyo Hadi, Assistant for Operations at the Hasanuddin XIV Military Regional Command, said the black box was located at around 11:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday near Mount Bulusaraung. The recorder was still attached to part of the aircraft’s tail section when it was recovered.

The ATR 42-500, registered PK-THT, lost contact on January 17 while attempting to land at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport. Wreckage was later found in the Mount Bulusaraung area of Pangkep Regency.

The aircraft was carrying 10 people—seven crew members and three government officials from Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on a maritime surveillance mission. Authorities have so far recovered eight victims, with search and rescue operations continuing for the remaining individuals as terrain and weather conditions allow.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, en.tempo.co