A Sriwijaya Air plane that lost contact shortly after its take-off is feared to have crashed into the sea.

Flightradar24 tweeted that the aircraft lost over 10,000 feet of altitude in less than a minute, four minutes after departing from Jakarta.

Sriwijaya Air flight #SJ182 lost more than 10.000 feet of altitude in less than one minute, about 4 minutes after departure from Jakarta.https://t.co/fNZqlIR2dz pic.twitter.com/MAVfbj73YN

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 9, 2021

Flight went missing

The flight departed Jakarta at about 2:45pm local time and was scheduled to land in Pontianak at 4:15pm. Its last contact with the control tower took place at around 3:40pm.

https://mothership.sg/2021/01/sriwijaya-air-plane-missing/

According to CNN, there were 62 people on board, including seven children and three infants. A total of 12 flight crew were aboard, six were operating the plane.

The Indonesian Transport Ministry is currently investigating and coordinating the matter with the relevant search and rescue agency and the transport safety body.

Suspected debris found

In a subsequent report, Reuters said that rescuers have found suspected debris in waters north of Jakarta.

According to Xinhua, a commander of a coast guard ship told local media that "body parts, life jackets, avtur (aviation turbine fuel) and debris" were found. It is still unconfirmed if the wreckage is from the plane.

Small debris was also fished out, and footage of some of it was broadcast on television.

We’re receiving videos and images transferred by the the rescue team #SJ182 https://t.co/gjxIxEX22N pic.twitter.com/Z25P4dfZOt

— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) January 9, 2021

According to local media Kompass, residents on Lancang Island reportedly heard a loud noise in the afternoon.

A search and rescue operation is currently being carried out.

Teams had been deployed to an area around the Laki and Lancang islands in northern Jakarta, where the plane was believed to have crashed, CNN reported.

A subsequent report by the Straits Times said that the Indonesian Navy has determined the exact location of the plane crash.

The coordinates have been given to all Navy vessels involved in the search.

Top photo via AirLive, FlightRadar24 / Twitter