A domestic passenger aircraft with 54 people on board has crashed in Indonesia.

The plane had been reported missing when it lost contact with air traffic control not long before it was supposed to complete a relatively short flight from Jayapura to Oksibil, the capital of Papua province.

It was missing for several hours before local villagers reported seeing a plane crash in a remote area known for its steep cliffs and dense forest.

An official says there was bad weather in the area at the time.