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Divers Begin Hauling Up Bodies From Sunken AirAsia Plane Divers Begin Hauling Up Bodies From Sunken AirAsia Plane
(about 5 hours later)
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian Navy divers, thwarted for days by bad weather, began recovering bodies on Thursday from the sunken fuselage of the AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month, killing all 162 people aboard.JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian Navy divers, thwarted for days by bad weather, began recovering bodies on Thursday from the sunken fuselage of the AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month, killing all 162 people aboard.
A total of 115 victims remain unaccounted for since the plane, Flight 8501, crashed on Dec. 28 less than an hour after taking off from the Indonesian city of Surabaya, bound for Singapore. A total of 115 victims remain unaccounted for since the plane, an Airbus A320-200 flying as Flight 8501, crashed on Dec. 28 less than an hour after taking off from the Indonesian city of Surabaya, bound for Singapore.
As of Thursday, forensic experts had identified 47 of 53 victims whose bodies, or body parts, had been recovered, Indonesian officials said. As of Thursday, forensic experts had identified 47 of 53 victims whose remains had been recovered, Indonesian officials said.
The officials had said they suspected the bodies of many of the missing victims were inside the fuselage, which lies two miles from where the tail section of the Airbus A320-200 was recovered on Jan. 10. The officials had said they suspected that the bodies of many of the missing victims were inside the fuselage, which lies two miles from where the tail section of the Airbus was recovered on Jan. 10.
Severe underwater currents and surface waves as high as 16 feet had prevented divers from reaching the fuselage to recover bodies or attempt to raise the wreckage to the surface, using special lifting balloons, since it was located on the seabed last week at a depth of 100 feet.Severe underwater currents and surface waves as high as 16 feet had prevented divers from reaching the fuselage to recover bodies or attempt to raise the wreckage to the surface, using special lifting balloons, since it was located on the seabed last week at a depth of 100 feet.
Improved weather on Thursday enabled divers to undertake the recovery operation.Improved weather on Thursday enabled divers to undertake the recovery operation.
Rear Adm. Widodo, commander of the Indonesian Navy’s western fleet, told journalists aboard the naval ship Banda Aceh, which is involved in the search operations off the southern coast of Borneo Island, that four bodies had been recovered as of Thursday afternoon, none of them completely intact. Rear Admiral Widodo, commander of the Indonesian Navy’s western fleet, told journalists aboard the naval ship Banda Aceh, which is involved in the search operations off the southern coast of Borneo Island, that the remains of four people had been recovered as of Thursday.
“There are many bodies in the fuselage,” he said, declining to give an estimate.“There are many bodies in the fuselage,” he said, declining to give an estimate.
Admiral Widodo, who goes by one name, said that three of the bodies recovered were those of two women and a man, while the fourth body, clad in a blue shirt, was unidentifiable. Admiral Widodo, who goes by one name, said three of the bodies recovered were those of two women and a man, while the fourth body, clad in a blue shirt, was unidentifiable.
He said divers also found a wallet containing Indonesian and Singaporean currencies.He said divers also found a wallet containing Indonesian and Singaporean currencies.
The cause of the crash remains unclear, although weather has been cited as a probable factor.The cause of the crash remains unclear, although weather has been cited as a probable factor.
Shortly before air traffic controllers lost contact with Flight 8501, the plane’s pilots requested permission to increase altitude to 38,000 feet from 32,000 feet to avoid a storm cloud. The plane disappeared from radar around four minutes later, Indonesian transportation officials have said.Shortly before air traffic controllers lost contact with Flight 8501, the plane’s pilots requested permission to increase altitude to 38,000 feet from 32,000 feet to avoid a storm cloud. The plane disappeared from radar around four minutes later, Indonesian transportation officials have said.
On Tuesday, Ignasius Jonan, the Indonesian minister of transportation, told a parliamentary commission that, according to ground radar, the plane had quickly climbed at a rate of 6,000 feet per minute before plunging and disappearing from the screen. On Tuesday, Ignasius Jonan, the Indonesian minister of transportation, told a parliamentary commission that according to ground radar, the plane had climbed unusually fast, at a rate of 6,000 feet per minute, before plunging and disappearing from the radar screen.
His statements fueled speculation that the plane stalled and fell from the sky as its pilots desperately tried to get above the bad weather.His statements fueled speculation that the plane stalled and fell from the sky as its pilots desperately tried to get above the bad weather.
On Wednesday, Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Committee, which is evaluating Flight 8501’s data and cockpit voice recorders — the so-called black boxes — said during an event held by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club that if one wing engine had stalled, the plane could spin out of control as it plummeted toward the water.On Wednesday, Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Committee, which is evaluating Flight 8501’s data and cockpit voice recorders — the so-called black boxes — said during an event held by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club that if one wing engine had stalled, the plane could spin out of control as it plummeted toward the water.
However, he said that only the data from the black boxes would ultimately determine what happened to Flight 8501, and he declined to say whether the plane had in fact stalled.However, he said that only the data from the black boxes would ultimately determine what happened to Flight 8501, and he declined to say whether the plane had in fact stalled.
Mr. Tatang said the comments made by the transportation minister were based not on data from the black boxes, but on the ground radar.Mr. Tatang said the comments made by the transportation minister were based not on data from the black boxes, but on the ground radar.
The voice cockpit recorder picked up warning sirens during the flight’s final minutes, Reuters has reported.The voice cockpit recorder picked up warning sirens during the flight’s final minutes, Reuters has reported.
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee, which is evaluating data from the plane’s black boxes, must complete a preliminary report by Wednesday, but it will not be released publicly, Mr. Tatang said.Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee, which is evaluating data from the plane’s black boxes, must complete a preliminary report by Wednesday, but it will not be released publicly, Mr. Tatang said.