Minister of Transportation Dudy said the ATR 42-500 aircraft black box has not been found yet.

Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi (second from right) Head of Basarnas Marsda TNI Muhammad Syafii (second from left), Sulsel Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman (right) and Sulsel Police Chief Inspector General Pol Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro (left) answer questions from reporters regarding the evacuation process of victims of the ATR 42-500 plane crash in Gunung Bulusaraung. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Dudy Purwagandhi said that until now the black box (black box) of the ATR 42-500 aircraft with registration PK-THT that crashed in South Sulawesi has not been found.

For information, the existence of the black box is an important key to uncovering the cause of the plane crash which carried out a flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar carrying 10 people, consisting of 7 crew members and 3 passengers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

The ATR 42-500 aircraft operated by PT Indonesia Air Transport was known to have lost contact while making a landing approach at the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar, on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

"Regarding the cause of the incident, we are of course still waiting for the results of the KNKT investigation. And we can say that until now, until yesterday and until this morning, we have not reported whether the black box has been found or not," he said in a meeting with Commission V of the DPR, reported from the Parliament TV YouTube, Tuesday, January 20.

According to Dudy, the search process for the black box is still part of the integrated SAR operation led by Basarnas.

Until now, around 1,200 joint personnel have been deployed to search for the plane crash site in the Gunung Balusaraung area, on the border of Maros Regency and Pangkajene Islands.

However, Dudy continued, the weather conditions and the heavy terrain were a major challenge for the team in the field.

"At the time of our visit yesterday, the weather conditions at the location were quite thick with clouds, from morning to afternoon it rained. The terrain is also quite steep with a slope of almost 70 to 80 degrees, slippery, making it difficult for the rescue team," said Dudy.

However, Dudy ensured that the search efforts would continue.

All parts of the aircraft that have been found will be collected at Hasanuddin Air Base to support the investigation process.

"The identification process will be carried out by the DVI of the South Sulawesi Police," he said.