Jet with 59 on Board Disappears after Take-Off in Jakarta

By Staff, Agencies

Sriwijaya Air passenger flight SJ182 that took off from Jakarta airport "lost contact" with flight controllers, according to local media reports.

The Sriwijaya Air passenger plane descended more than 10,000 feet in less than a minute, according to the flight tracker website FlightRadar24.

According to Indonesian newspaper Republika, there were 59 passengers on board.

The missing plane is a 'classic' Boeing 737-500 with the registration number PK-CLC [MSN 27323], which first took to the skies in May 1994.

Sriwijaya Air said that it was collecting more information regarding the flight before it could make any statement.

The passenger plane took off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport and was heading to Pontianak.