Breaking News: Russian Superjet Vanishes Mid-Flight in Indonesia with 44 Passengers

Update: The Russian superjet crashed into  Indonesian volcano Mount Salak. The search for survivors has been suspended, due to thick fog and the remoteness of the region.

A Russian Sukhoi Superjet  with the capacity to carry 100 passenger  has gone missing on a demonstration flight in Indonesia, reports say.

The plane, with at least 44 passengers and crew aboard, disappeared from radar screens during a demonstration flight from the capital Jakarta meant to last only 30 minutes, reports are saying.

Indonesian Emergency services have confirmed a Sukhoi plane is missing. Helicopters have been dispatched to look for the jet, thought to have been flying near a mountain close to the capital city. 

The jet, which took off at 07:00 GMT, is believed to have had at least four hours' fuel aboard, the BBC's Karishma Vaswani reports from Jakarta. Information from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport claim the jet dropped from 10,000 feet [3,000m] to 6,000 feet in a short period of time. Most of the people on board were invited guests for the demonstration flight, sources say.

"Passengers, Prepare for Immediate Impact! Just Joking!"

Passengers on a routine British Airways flight from Miami to London were given a jolt when a recorded announcement stating that the plane was about to crash was played over the intercom!

Passengers were startled with the incorrect message in the early morning hours, apparently after one of the crew in the plane's cabin accidentally hit the wrong button. Crew members quickly interjected that the alarm was issued by mistake, but many of the passengers were still ruffled by the terrifying announcement.

"An alarm sounded and we were told we were about to land in the sea. I thought we were going to die," explained a passenger aboard the flight. "My wife was crying and passengers were screaming."

 "When we landed they were handing out letters apologizing, but it was the worst experience of my life. I don't think BA should get away with this," said another passenger. British Airways issued a public apology to the passengers for the mistake.

This is not the first incident of such a mistaken announcement being made. Last year, a pre-recorded alarm telling passengers to prepare for an emergency water landing was made during a flight from London to Hong Kong.