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AirAsia Indonesia flight to Singapore goes missing over Java Sea with 162 on board AirAsia Indonesia flight to Singapore goes missing with 162 on board
(35 minutes later)
A Singapore-bound AirAsia Indonesia jet carrying 162 passengers and crew members lost contact with air-traffic control on Sunday morning, prompting Indonesian authorities to launch search and rescue operations.A Singapore-bound AirAsia Indonesia jet carrying 162 passengers and crew members lost contact with air-traffic control on Sunday morning, prompting Indonesian authorities to launch search and rescue operations.
The Singapore Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that the plane — an Airbus A320-200 — “lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control” at 7:24 a.m. local time (7:24 p.m. Saturday in Washington), about an hour before its scheduled landing at Changi Airport. Contact was lost about 42 minutes after takeoff from Surabaya Airport, an Indonesian Ministry of Transportation official told Indonesia’s MetroTV, according to the Associated Press. The Singapore Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that the plane — an Airbus A320-200 — “lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control” at 7:24 a.m. local time (7:24 p.m. Saturday in Washington), about an hour before its scheduled landing at Changi Airport. Contact was lost about 42 minutes after takeoff from Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport, an Indonesian Ministry of Transportation official told Indonesia’s MetroTV, according to the Associated Press.
The official, Hadi Mustofa, said the plane was believed to be over the Java Sea when it lost contact.The official, Hadi Mustofa, said the plane was believed to be over the Java Sea when it lost contact.
In a statement, AirAsia said that “the aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to enroute weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC).” In a statement, AirAsia said that “the aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to enroute weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control.”
Update: #QZ8501 missing en route to Singapore. Satellite images show some stormy weather along route. pic.twitter.com/YoTFWbh8GL — WeatherBug (@WeatherBug) December 28, 2014Update: #QZ8501 missing en route to Singapore. Satellite images show some stormy weather along route. pic.twitter.com/YoTFWbh8GL — WeatherBug (@WeatherBug) December 28, 2014
Update: #QZ8501 missing en route to Singapore. Satellite images show some stormy weather along route. pic.twitter.com/YoTFWbh8GLUpdate: #QZ8501 missing en route to Singapore. Satellite images show some stormy weather along route. pic.twitter.com/YoTFWbh8GL
— WeatherBug (@WeatherBug) December 28, 2014— WeatherBug (@WeatherBug) December 28, 2014
There was bad weather where #QZ8501 was flying. But 100s of airliners fly through bad weather daily. Not necessarily related. — Airline Reporter (@AirlineReporter) December 28, 2014There was bad weather where #QZ8501 was flying. But 100s of airliners fly through bad weather daily. Not necessarily related. — Airline Reporter (@AirlineReporter) December 28, 2014
There was bad weather where #QZ8501 was flying. But 100s of airliners fly through bad weather daily. Not necessarily related.There was bad weather where #QZ8501 was flying. But 100s of airliners fly through bad weather daily. Not necessarily related.
— Airline Reporter (@AirlineReporter) December 28, 2014— Airline Reporter (@AirlineReporter) December 28, 2014
The flight took off Sunday morning from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, with 155 passengers, two pilots, one engineer and four flight attendants on board, according to AirAsia. There were 16 children and one infant among the passengers, the airline said. All but five passengers were Indonesian; three were South Korean, and there was one passenger from Singapore on the plane and another from Malaysia. An Indonesian official said at a news conference in Surabaya that the pilots had asked to ascend to 38,000 feet because of clouds, according to the Guardian. Six minutes later, the official said, the plane went missing from the radar.
The flight took off Sunday morning from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, with 155 passengers, two pilots, one engineer and four flight attendants on board, according to AirAsia, a Malaysia-based budget carrier. There were 16 children and one infant among the passengers, the airline said. All but five passengers were Indonesian; three were South Korean, and there was one passenger from Singapore on the plane and another from Malaysia.
Airport staff holds up a sign at Changi's T2 to direct family members & friends seeking info on @AirAsia #QZ8501. pic.twitter.com/m6gM8JcdMJ — The Straits Times (@STcom) December 28, 2014
Airport staff holds up a sign at Changi's T2 to direct family members & friends seeking info on @AirAsia #QZ8501. pic.twitter.com/m6gM8JcdMJ
— The Straits Times (@STcom) December 28, 2014
In its statement, AirAsia said the captain in command of the flight “had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours.” The airline added that the Airbus A320-200 underwent “its last scheduled maintenance” on Nov. 16.In its statement, AirAsia said the captain in command of the flight “had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours.” The airline added that the Airbus A320-200 underwent “its last scheduled maintenance” on Nov. 16.
We have been informed of an event and all efforts are now going towards assessing the situation. — Airbus (@Airbus) December 28, 2014We have been informed of an event and all efforts are now going towards assessing the situation. — Airbus (@Airbus) December 28, 2014
We have been informed of an event and all efforts are now going towards assessing the situation.We have been informed of an event and all efforts are now going towards assessing the situation.
— Airbus (@Airbus) December 28, 2014— Airbus (@Airbus) December 28, 2014
According to the AP:
Budget carrier AirAsia, which has dominated cheap travel in the region for years, has never lost a plane before.
Budget carrier AirAsia, which has dominated cheap travel in the region for years, has never lost a plane before.
Flightradar24 did not pick up any emergency signals from #QZ8501 The signal was just lost at 23:12 UTC pic.twitter.com/fF36RxqiYR — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014Flightradar24 did not pick up any emergency signals from #QZ8501 The signal was just lost at 23:12 UTC pic.twitter.com/fF36RxqiYR — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014
Flightradar24 did not pick up any emergency signals from #QZ8501 The signal was just lost at 23:12 UTC pic.twitter.com/fF36RxqiYRFlightradar24 did not pick up any emergency signals from #QZ8501 The signal was just lost at 23:12 UTC pic.twitter.com/fF36RxqiYR
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014
#QZ8501 may have flown out of Flightradar24 coverage at 23:12 UTC as we are missing coverage on lower altitudes in this area. — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014#QZ8501 may have flown out of Flightradar24 coverage at 23:12 UTC as we are missing coverage on lower altitudes in this area. — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014
#QZ8501 may have flown out of Flightradar24 coverage at 23:12 UTC as we are missing coverage on lower altitudes in this area.#QZ8501 may have flown out of Flightradar24 coverage at 23:12 UTC as we are missing coverage on lower altitudes in this area.
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 28, 2014
This has been an especially difficult year for Southeast Asian commercial airlines. Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in early March and is still missing nearly 10 months later — and Malaysia Airline Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine in July. This has been an especially difficult year for Malaysian carriers. Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in early March, with 239 people on board. The plane is still missing nearly 10 months later. And in July, Malaysia Airline Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine; all 298 people aboard the plane died.
Herman Wong contributed to this post, which has been updated multiple times. According to the AP, AirAsia has never lost a plane before.
“Thank you for your thoughts and prays [sic],” the company’s chief executive, Tony Fernandes, wrote on Twitter. “we must stay strong.”
White House spokesperson Eric Schultz said President Obama, who is on vacation in Hawaii, “has been briefed on AirAsia Flight 8501 and White House officials will continue to monitor the situation.”
Herman Wong and David Nakamura contributed to this post, which has been updated multiple times.