<div>A Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100 on a demonstration flight over Indonesia with 44 people, including Russian diplomats, went missing Wednesday, officials said.<br /><br /><div>The plane with eight Russians and 36 foreign nationals disappeared in the area of Mount Salak, which is 7,254 feet high, said a spokesman of the aeronautical airspace control in Indonesia.<br /><br /></div><div>Darkness, fog and rain complicated the search for the plane, RIA Novosti reported.<br /><br /></div><div>Indonesian transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan told Xinhua that the plane took off from Indonesian air base Halim Perdana Kusuma in East Jakarta. <br /><br /></div><div>It lost contact at 2.25 p.m. while trying to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet near a small airport in Bogor.<br /><br /></div><div>The official said there was no report of bad weather.<br /><br /></div><div>Other officials suggested the plane may have been hijacked or crashed into a mountain in poor visibility. By the time it was due to return, the plane should have burned up its fuel.<br /><br /></div><div>The Russian embassy in Jakarta said that in addition to the Russians, there were only Indonesians on board.<br /><br /></div><div>Shortly before radio contact was lost, 20 minutes after takeoff, the pilots had requested permission to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet, air traffic controllers said.<br /><br /></div><div>After it was cleared for descent, the plane started turning right and descending but then disappeared from the radar screens at an altitude of 6,200 feet in a mountainous area 60 km from Jakarta.<br /><br /></div><div>The SSJ-100 carried out two demonstration flights in the Indonesian capital. It arrived in Jakarta as part of a demonstration tour of six Asian countries. It has been to Myanmar, Pakistan and Kazakhstan and was due to visit Laos and Vietnam.<br /><br /></div><div>The Superjet 100 is a medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Sukhoi in cooperation with US and European aviation corporations including Boeing, Snecma, Thales, Messier Dowty, Liebherr Aerospace and Honeywell.</div></div>
<div>A Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100 on a demonstration flight over Indonesia with 44 people, including Russian diplomats, went missing Wednesday, officials said.<br /><br /><div>The plane with eight Russians and 36 foreign nationals disappeared in the area of Mount Salak, which is 7,254 feet high, said a spokesman of the aeronautical airspace control in Indonesia.<br /><br /></div><div>Darkness, fog and rain complicated the search for the plane, RIA Novosti reported.<br /><br /></div><div>Indonesian transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan told Xinhua that the plane took off from Indonesian air base Halim Perdana Kusuma in East Jakarta. <br /><br /></div><div>It lost contact at 2.25 p.m. while trying to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet near a small airport in Bogor.<br /><br /></div><div>The official said there was no report of bad weather.<br /><br /></div><div>Other officials suggested the plane may have been hijacked or crashed into a mountain in poor visibility. By the time it was due to return, the plane should have burned up its fuel.<br /><br /></div><div>The Russian embassy in Jakarta said that in addition to the Russians, there were only Indonesians on board.<br /><br /></div><div>Shortly before radio contact was lost, 20 minutes after takeoff, the pilots had requested permission to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet, air traffic controllers said.<br /><br /></div><div>After it was cleared for descent, the plane started turning right and descending but then disappeared from the radar screens at an altitude of 6,200 feet in a mountainous area 60 km from Jakarta.<br /><br /></div><div>The SSJ-100 carried out two demonstration flights in the Indonesian capital. It arrived in Jakarta as part of a demonstration tour of six Asian countries. It has been to Myanmar, Pakistan and Kazakhstan and was due to visit Laos and Vietnam.<br /><br /></div><div>The Superjet 100 is a medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Sukhoi in cooperation with US and European aviation corporations including Boeing, Snecma, Thales, Messier Dowty, Liebherr Aerospace and Honeywell.</div></div>