Jakarta  - A Casa airplane belonging to the Indonesian Air Force with 18 people on board was missing and presumed crashed in thick jungle in West Java province, officials said Friday.

Air Force spokesman Chaeruddin Ray said three among 18 people on board the Casa C-212 aircraft were foreigners and their fate remained unknown.

Officials from Indonesia's national search and rescue agency said the plane disappeared from radar screens at 3:03 pm on Thursday around Mount Salak, about 40 kilometres south of Jakarta. They said dense jungle and mountainous terrain were hampering the search.

Air Force spokesman Ray said the foreigners were from a company that sold aerial photography equipment and were on a short trial flight from a Jakarta air base when the plane disappeared.

Rescue teams from Jakarta, with the support of security personnel and the local villagers, had been combing the foot of Mount Salak since 6 pm Thursday, but no wreckage has been found. Local police said residents had heard an explosion.

Indonesia has one of the world's worst aviation safety records following a string of deadly disasters in recent years. The archipelago relies heavily on air as well as sea links. (dpa)