Searchers have detected a signal from the mobile phone belonging to the pilot of a small plane missing in eastern Indonesia with 10 people on board.
The DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by domestic airline Aviastar lost contact on Friday, 11 minutes after take-off in good weather from the town of Masamba in South Sulawesi province.
"The search is focusing on the location where the signal was detected," Aviastar chairman Sugeng Triyono was quoted as saying by Detik.com news website.
The plane bound for the provincial capital Makassar was carrying three crew members and seven passengers, including three children.
No distress signal was received.
Four aircraft were deployed in the search, said Petrus Budi Prasetyo, commercial general manager for the airline.
Ahmad Munir, head of the airport authority in Makassar, said satellite data showed the aircraft's last known position was about 32 kilometres from Masamba.
Share
