REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for a thorough investigation to find out why the Sukhoi Superjet crashed in West Java`s Mount Salak area. "I hope the investigation will be carried out thoroughly," the head of state told the press at the Halim Perdanakusuma air force base on Thursday.

The cause of the plane crash is unknown so far, he added. The Sukhoi plane had gone missing since Wednesday afternoon, after departing from the Halim Perdanakusuma base with 48 people, including eight Russians, on board in a demonstration flight.

The chairman of the National Search and Rescue (SAR) Agency Vice Marshal Daryatmo stated that the agency had mobilized four helicopters to look for the missing plane at the coordinates from where the plane had made its last contact before disappearing in the Mount Salak area, West Java, on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, the SAR team aboard one of the helicopters spotted the wreckage of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 on the edge of a cliff about 5,500 feet (1,650 meters) high on Mount Salak.

There was no word on the fate of those on board. "At around 8:30 am local time, the SAR team saw the wreckage that we suspect is the location of the plane crash," Daryatmo reported at Halim Perdanakusuma.

The demonstration flight undertaken by the Sukhoi Superjet 100, also known as SSJ-100, was part of the airline company Sukhoi Civil Aircraft`s road shows, which have been conducted in a number of Southeast and Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

Indonesia`s Kartika Airline had reportedly ordered for 15 SSJ-100 planes last year. Regional airline company Sky Aviation has bought 12 SSJ-100 planes as well, at a total cost of 380.4 million IDR.

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