Divers Continue Hunt for AirAsia Black Boxes
Indonesian search and rescue teams plan to start lifting the crashed AirAsia jet's tail off the sea bed on Friday, officials said, raising hopes that "black box" recorders can be retrieved to reveal the cause of the disaster. Scores of divers plunged into the Java Sea on Thursday to search the wreckage of Flight QZ8501, which vanished from radar screens on Dec. 28 less than half-way into a two-hour flight from Indonesia's second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore. There were no survivors among the 162 people on board. The cause of the crash remains a mystery, with hopes centering on the so-called black boxes - the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder - providing vital clues. The plane was an Airbus A320-200, which carries the recorders near the tail section.
Bodies from Downed Plane Pulled from Sea off Indonesia
Indonesian rescuers searching for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people pulled bodies and wreckage from the sea off the coast of Borneo on Tuesday, prompting relatives of those on board watching TV footage to break down in tears. Indonesia AirAsia's Flight QZ8501, an Airbus A320-200, lost contact with air traffic control early on Sunday during bad weather on a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. The navy said 40 bodies had been recovered. The plane has yet to be found. "My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501," airline boss Tony Fernandes tweeted. "On behalf of AirAsia, my condolences to all.
Java Sea Body, Luggage Could be AirAsia Debris
Objects resembling a body, luggage, a life vest and debris suspected to be part of an AirAsia jet that disappeared over the Java Sea were spotted by a pilot involved in the search operation, domestic media reported on Tuesday. "The body seemed bloated," said First Lieutenant Tri Wibowo who was on board a Hercules aircraft during the search operation, reported the Kompas.com website. The sightings were made at around 11.00 Indonesia time, Wibowo said, after searching for around five hours. The suspected remains and debris were seen in the Karimata Strait, west of the Indonesian part of Borneo. An Airbus AIR.PA A320-200 carrying 162 people and operated by Indonesia AirAsia disappeared in poor weather on Sunday morning during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.
