Fact Check: Photo Claimed to Show ATR 42-500 Crash Survivor Is Unrelated

Authorities have debunked viral claims of a survivor from the recent ATR 42-500 aircraft crash in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The misleading photo circulating on social media since January 18 actually shows a survivor from a completely different aviation incident that occurred nearly two years earlier.

Tempo’s fact-checking team conducted a reverse image search that revealed the man pictured is actually M. Yusuf, a 29-year-old pilot who survived the crash of a Pilatus PC-6 Porter aircraft in North Kalimantan on March 8, 2024. Yusuf was rescued on March 10, 2024, following the Smart Aviation flight’s disappearance after takeoff from Tarakan’s Juwata International Airport.

The Pilatus aircraft had been transporting 583 kilograms of basic necessities across 21 categories of goods when it crashed. Tragically, the onboard engineer, 35-year-old Deni S. from Pangandaran, was found dead at the scene. The image in question matches video footage that appeared on several Indonesian news outlets including Metro TV, INews, and Kompas.com in March 2024.

Meanwhile, the more recent ATR 42-500 crash has yielded only grim discoveries. Search and rescue personnel have recovered the remains of two passengers from the aircraft, which crashed in the Bulusaraung mountains on January 17, 2026. The Indonesia Air Transport (IAT) plane, registration PK-THT, lost contact while flying over Maros Regency on a route from Yogyakarta to Makassar.

The aircraft was carrying ten people in total—seven crew members and three passengers. Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, Indonesia’s Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, confirmed that three ministry staff members were aboard on an official mission to monitor marine and fisheries resources.

Joint recovery teams located the wreckage one day after the crash on the southern slope of Bulusaraung Peak, with the main fuselage found north of the mountain summit. The difficult mountainous terrain has complicated recovery efforts.

The spread of misinformation following aviation disasters is unfortunately common, as families desperately seek signs of hope and social media users rapidly share unverified content. This particular false claim gained significant traction across multiple Facebook accounts, prompting Tempo’s investigation.

Aviation safety remains a persistent concern in Indonesia, where the archipelagic geography necessitates air travel but challenging terrain and weather conditions create heightened risks. The country has worked to improve its aviation safety record in recent years following several high-profile incidents.

The ATR 42-500 is a twin-turboprop regional airliner manufactured by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. The model is designed for short-haul regional flights and is commonly used throughout Southeast Asia for inter-island transportation.

Indonesian authorities continue their investigation into the cause of the crash while recovery operations proceed at the site. Officials have asked the public to refrain from sharing unverified information that may cause additional distress to the families of victims.