A plane carrying three passengers and eight crew members that went missing is believed to have crashed in Indonesia.

The ATR 42-500 took off from Yogyakarta for a two-hour flight to Makassar, South Sulawesi, but air traffic control is said to have lost contact when the plane was around 20km from the airport.

Footage showed debris on a mountainside, which officials said is believed to be from the crashed turboprop aircraft. It included a logo consistent with Indonesia Air Transport markings, the plane operator.

Rescue teams were sent to the remote mountainous Leang-Leang area to search for survivors.

Andi Sultan, Head of the Makassar Basarnas Operations Section, said: 'We have headed to the location of the coordinates around the Leang-Leang area according to the coordinates reported to us by Airnav.

'To detect and find the ATR 42-500 aircraft, the team has deployed 60 search and rescue personnel.

'The first team has dispatched five people to carry out the assessment, and we are sending another 15 people for the second team.

'Meanwhile, for the third team, we will dispatch 40 personnel with search and rescue expertise.'

Director General of Air Transport, Lukman F Laisa, said air traffic control tried to bring the plane back on course but lost contact with the captain.

The official said: 'The aircraft was identified not to be on the approach path it should have been, so the air traffic control gave a redirection to the crew to correct the position.

'Air traffic control then conveyed several further instructions. The instructions aimed to bring the plane back to the landing line in accordance with the procedure.

'After the submission of the last instructions, communication with the plane was lost. Following up on this condition, air traffic control declared an emergency phase in accordance with the applicable provisions and procedures.'

Officials said the plane was flying at a low altitude over the ocean, limiting radar coverage, and its last signal was received at 11:20 am local time, around 12 miles (20km) northeast of the airport.

The aircraft, registered PK-THT, was owned by Indonesia Air Transport, a charter company that specialises in charter flights for oil and gas businesses and the public sector.

The company was operating the plane on a long-term contract for the government's Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance service.

Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, said that three employees were aboard the flight as part of an airborne maritime surveillance mission supporting Indonesia's fisheries management operations.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation with more than 280 million people, relies heavily on air transport and ferries to connect its over 17,000 islands.

The country has been plagued by transportation accidents on land, sea and air in recent years because of poorly enforced safety standards.