The missing plane is a small Twin Otter DHC-6.
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Transportation Ministry spokesman Julius Barata confirmed a search crew had been dispatched for the passenger plane – owned by airline Aviastar Mandiri.
A private passenger plane with 10 people on board lost contact Friday in eastern Indonesia, South Sulawesi province regional police spokesperson Barung Mangera told Anadolu Agency.
It was carrying three crew and seven passengers, including three children, from Masamba in the same province.
The Aviastar airline flight had departed from Andi Djema Airport in Masamba town at around 14.25 pm (0725GMT) en route to Sultan Hasanuddin global Airport in the provincial capital of Makassar.
Mr Sulistyo said the rescue efforts were likely to be carried out on Saturday morning. It was supposed to land in Makassar at 3.35 p.m. Since 2003 Aviastar began operating fix wing aircraft with 2 units of DeHavilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters and began to drop its rotary wings operations.
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Indonesia has a poor aviation safety record and has suffered major disasters in recent months, including a crash in Oksibil Papua in August that killed all 54 people onboard.
