Missing AirAsia plane ‘at bottom of the sea’
Print Edition
DOZENS of planes and ships searching Indonesian waters for a missing AirAsia plane focused on a patch of oil for possible clues yesterday, as a senior official said the aircraft was likely at the bottom of the sea.
Australia, Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesia-led search as relatives waited for any news of their loved ones more than a day after flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.
“Papa come home, I still need Papa,” Angela, the daughter of Indonesian pilot Irianto, begged in an emotional appeal.
The Airbus A320-200 lost contact on route from Surabaya in Indonesia’s east Java to Singapore on Sunday after the crew requested a change of flight plan due to stormy weather.
Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters the search was now concentrated on an oil patch off Belitung island, across from Kalimantan on Borneo island.
“We are making sure whether it was avtur (aviation fuel) from the AirAsia plane or from a vessel because that location is a shipping line,” he said.
As the second day’s search ended at dusk, National Search and Rescue Agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said an Indonesian corvette was on its way to collect an oil sample, with an announcement expected today.
Soelistyo said earlier that it was likely the plane was at the “bottom of the sea.” The hypothesis is “based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea,” he said.
Ships and aircraft were searching an area where the sea is 40-50 meters deep, he said, adding that Indonesia was coordinating with other countries to borrow any equipment needed to scour the seabed.
Distraught relatives in Surabaya were desperately hoping for news of loved ones as the international search expanded.
Intan, 28, said Indonesia needed overseas help to find the plane which was carrying her brother and his family and friends.
“My hope is Indonesia seeks as much help as possible from other countries. Don’t claim ‘We have sophisticated technology’, just ask other countries because they are better equipped,” she said, as Jakarta welcomed offers of help from its neighbors.
“My prayer is I really, really hope that there will be news about the people on board. Whatever it is, what is important is we know where they are now,” she said.
While the operation has drawn comparisons with the ongoing search for Malaysia Airlines MH370, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot said it did not appear to be a great mystery.
“It’s an aircraft that was flying a regular route on a regular schedule, it struck what appears to have been horrific weather, and it’s down. But this is not a mystery like the MH370 disappearance and it’s not an atrocity like the MH17 shooting down.”
China, which had 152 citizens on flight MH370, has offered to help in the latest search.
AirAsia said 155 of those on board were Indonesian, with three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and France. The Frenchman was the co-pilot.
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the twin-engine aircraft around an hour after it left Surabaya’s Juanda international airport at about 5:35am on Sunday.
AirAsia said the missing jet last underwent maintenance on November 16.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew, and in July flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine killing all 298 on board.
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