Sukhoi SuperJet 100Indonesian authorities have spotted what is suspected to be the wreckage of a Sukhoi SuperJet 100 that went missing during a demonstration flight yesterday.

The aircraft could not be located 50 minutes after taking off from Jakarta with nearly 50 people on board, consisting of Russian pilots and technicians, journalists, as well as representatives from Indonesian airlines.

Initial search and rescue efforts were hampered by adverse weather conditions, but renewed efforts have uncovered debris scattered around the side of a cliff near a dormant volcano.

"An investigation must be carried out immediately and thoroughly. Search and rescue operations must prioritise finding any survivors."

Indonesian President Susilo Bamband Yudhoyono confirmed on Indonesian television that the Sukhoi SuperJet had crashed at the edge of Salak mountain.

"I have spoken directly to our officer in the field, it was found around 1.5km from the spot where the plane last made contact."

Although there were no initial signs of anyone on board remaining alive, Indonesian authorities were preparing to airlift a rescue team onto the site.

The Russian-built Sukhoi SuperJet 100 is the county’s first new civilian aircraft for more than 20 years and had been conducting demonstration flights as part of a sales tour in Asia.

Top image: A Sukhoi SuperJet 100 during a demonstration at the MAKS Airshow in 2009. Credit: courtesy of Simm.

Mount Salak - location of Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash

Image: Mount Salak, West Java, Indonesia. Credit: Hiroshi Sanjuro