AirAsia QZ8501 black box found, say Indonesia authorities

January 12, 2015 | 09:33

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The black box from the downed AirAsia QZ8501 flight will be retrieved on Monday morning, says Indonesia's Directorate General of Marine Transport.

An Indonesian search and rescue helicopter (top R) prepares to land on the Indonesian Navy vessel KRI Banda Aceh as operations to lift the tail of AirAsia flight QZ8501 continued in the Java Sea on Jan 9, 2015. (Photo: AFP/Adek Berry)

SURABAYA: Indonesia's Directorate General of Marine Transport has confirmed that the black box of AirAsia QZ8501 has been found, Indonesian authorities said in a press release on Sunday (Jan 11). The breakthrough comes exactly two weeks after the flight from Surabaya to Singapore went down with 162 people on board.

In the release, Navigation Director of the Transport Ministry Tonny Budiono said navy divers from Indonesia navy ship KN Jadayat found the black box at a depth of 30 to 32 meters. Mr Budiono later told MetroTV that Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore officers were on board the KN Jadayat.

The black box is currently wedged between pieces of wreckage making it difficult for divers to retrieve, and due to time constraints, retrieval will take place on Monday morning, said Mr Budiono. The search crew will attempt to retrieve the black box by moving parts of wreckage to loosen it from where it is currently stuck, and if that fails, the same balloon method used to lift the tail of the plane will be employed.

To facilitate recovery efforts, a marker buoy has been installed at the site where the black box is, added Mr Budiono.

AFP, CNA

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