Helicopter Disappears With Passengers on Board After Losing Contact

A helicopter carrying eight people has gone missing after it lost contact shortly after takeoff in Indonesia’s Borneo region, prompting a major search and rescue operation in a remote and heavily forested area.

The Airbus BK117 D-3 helicopter, operated by Eastindo Air, departed from Kotabaru district in South Kalimantan at around 8:46 a.m. local time.

It was en route to Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan and expected to land at about 10:15 a.m. However, air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft at approximately 8:54 a.m., just minutes after departure.

“The helicopter lost contact shortly after takeoff,” authorities confirmed as communication with the aircraft suddenly stopped during its early phase of flight.

Following the disappearance, aviation authorities immediately raised the alarm and initiated emergency response procedures.

Authorities believe the helicopter may have gone down in or near the Mantewe forest area in Tanahbumbu district. The region features dense tropical forest, steep terrain, and limited road access, making rescue operations extremely challenging.

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Search and Rescue Teams Deploy Immediately

Search and rescue teams quickly moved into action after receiving the alert. Ground units advanced toward the suspected crash location while aerial teams conducted sweeping searches over the forest canopy in an effort to locate any sign of the aircraft.

The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Agency confirmed that it coordinated the initial response and worked to identify the helicopter’s last known coordinates to guide operations more precisely.

However, thick vegetation, rugged hills, and low visibility slowed progress in the early stages of the mission. As a result, rescue teams expanded the search perimeter to cover a wider area.

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Multi-Agency Coordination Strengthens Operations

Indonesian aviation authorities and disaster response agencies continue to coordinate a joint operation involving multiple teams and equipment.

Officials have maintained continuous deployment of both ground and air resources as they intensify efforts to locate the missing helicopter.

Rescue teams continue to face difficult conditions due to the expansive and inaccessible forest terrain, which limits visibility and slows movement across the search area.

As of the latest reports, authorities have not recovered any wreckage, and the condition of the eight people on board remains unknown. Search operations continue as teams push deeper into the forest in hopes of locating the aircraft.

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The aircraft, a passenger once escaped a crash and was later killed by MP Johana Ngeno. PHOTO/Osborn/FB