Search resumes for missing AirAsia plane: official

December 29, 2014 | 10:15

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Indonesia resumed a sea and aerial search at dawn for an AirAsia plane that went missing in the Java Sea with 162 people on board, an official said.

An official from Indonesia's national search and rescue agency in Medan points at his computer screen to the position where AirAsia flight QZ8501 went missing, Dec 28, 2014. (AFP/Sutanta Aditya)

JAKARTA: Indonesia resumed a sea and aerial search at dawn on Monday (Dec 29) for an AirAsia plane that went missing in the Java Sea with 162 people on board, an official said, as anguished relatives waited desperately for news.

"We have resumed the search for the missing AirAsia plane at 6:00 am (7am, Singapore time). We are heading to east Belitung island," Tatang Zainuddin, deputy operations chief of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) told AFP. "We are expecting vessels and planes from Malaysia and Singapore (to assist in the search). We hope we can find the plane as soon as possible," Zainuddin said.

The Airbus A320-200 disappeared en route from Surabaya in Indonesia's east Java to Singapore after the crew requested a change of flight plan due to stormy weather, in the third crisis for a Malaysian carrier this year.

Five aircraft will be sent to search for the plane, including two C130 military transport aircraft and a Boeing 737, Indonesian air force spokesman Hadi Cahyanto told AFP.

"Two planes have already left. Three more will follow suit. It is cloudy in some parts but still bright," Cahyanto said. "We are focusing the search area in the waters on the eastern and northern part of Belitung island."

Officials had called off the search as night fell on Sunday evening, around 11 hours after the plane went missing.

AirAsia said 155 of those on board flight QZ8501 were Indonesians, with three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and France. The Frenchman was the co-pilot.

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The AirAsia plane which went missing is likely at the bottom of the sea, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency chief said.

Missing aircraft’s pilot asks to change route over bad weather before losing contact

The pilot of the missing Air Asia aircraft with 162 people on board on Sunday morning requested a deviation due to weather before losing contact with the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC), according to a statement of the Malaysia-based budget carrier which has just been posted on its official Facebook’s page.

VN offers assistance in search efforts for missing Air Asia plane

Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh has deeply shared worries of families and relatives of passengers on board flight QZ 8501, during his phone call to Indonesian FM Retno L.P. Marsudi this afternoon.

AFP

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