Jakarta:It was estimated that up to 27 people were dead after a passenger plane smashed into the sea in eastern Indonesia on Saturday May 07, the latest in a long line of transportation accidents in the archipelago nation.

The propeller plane made by Chinese Xian MA60 operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines crashed into the sea with 21 passengers and 6 crew members aboard while trying to land amid rain and limited visibility at the town of Kaimana in the remote province of West Papua in the early afternoon, said Bambang Ervan, a spokesman for the Transportation Ministry.

"It was a regular landing. We don't yet know what the cause was, or why, but we do know they crashed into the sea about 500 to 600 meters from the end of the runway," Mr. Ervan said.

"Looking at the conditions there, we're not expecting any survivors," he said.

Rescuers, including local military units, that have been cleaning the waters near Kaimana have been in a weak position by rough weather, said Suyatno, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency in neighboring Papua Province. The search and rescue agency was also taking part in the search.

"We've found 15 people dead and identified them. We're still looking for the rest," he said. "We can't say for sure everyone's dead, but the signs do point that way." Indonesia which actually sprawls across 17,000 islands, often suffers from ferry, train and plane accidents. Poor maintenance, careless safety standards and official corruption are blamed for many transportation accidents.

Merpati is among a slew of Indonesian airlines blacklisted by the European Union over safety related issues. Only six local airlines, including the national carrier, Garuda Indonesia, are considered safe by the union.