Indonesian officials began a major search on Saturday after losing contact with a turboprop plane carrying 10 people. The aircraft had left Yogyakarta heading to Makassar in South Sulawesi but went missing shortly after 1 pm local time, rescuers said. The plane carried three employees from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono confirmed they were on a mission for aerial monitoring of marine resources. The remaining seven people onboard were crew members, the airline reported. Search teams were sent to a mountainous area in Maros Regency near the last known location of the aircraft. Muhammad Arif Anwar, head of the local search and rescue agency, said helicopters, drones, and ground teams were involved in the search, supported by the air force, police, and volunteers. Andi Sultan, operations chief at the Makassar search agency, said that multiple groups were working together on the effort. ATR, the plane's manufacturer, stated it is aiding Indonesian authorities with the investigation. Indonesia depends on air travel to connect its 17,000 islands but has faced several air accidents recently, including deadly crashes in South Kalimantan and Papua this year.