[Mrluvaluva]

A Russian-made passenger jet with 50 people onboard has gone missing in Indonesia during a demonstration flight for potential buyers.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the area south of the capital Jakarta but poor weather conditions forced at least two helicopters to return to base.

Over 200 soldiers, police and members of the air joined the land-based rescue efforts and would be working through the night.

The head of the national search and rescue agency, said several diplomats from the Russian embassy, potential buyers and aviation journalists were on board what was supposed to be a 50-minute demonstration flight - the second of the day.

The Sukhoi Superjet-100 had taken off from Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma Airport at 2.21pm.

Just 21 minutes into the flight the pilots contacted air traffic control and asked if they could descend from 10,000ft to 6,000ft (3,000m to 1,800m) before dropping off the radar near the the Bogor area.

The plane was flying close to the Salak mountain range and it was raining at the time.

Speaking to local station TVOne, a villager living near the mountains said: "I saw a big plane passing just over my house.

"It was veering a bit to one side, the engine roaring, it seemed to be heading toward Salak, but I didn't hear an explosion or anything."

Developed by the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi in co-operation with Western partners, the plane is the first completely new airliner designed by Russia since the Soviet collapse.

Russia has hoped that the short to mid-range jet, which made its maiden run in 2008, would help it break into international markets dominated by Boeing and Airbus.


Sky


How strange? I am wondering now if some scousers got past security and this is now a case of TWOK. It doesn't make sense? In all seriousness though I hope everyone onboard that aircraft is ok.