Indonesia missing jet 'at bottom of sea'
Dozens of planes and ships searching Indonesian waters for a
missing AirAsia plane focused Monday on a patch of oil for possible clues, as a
senior official warned the aircraft was likely at the bottom of the sea.
According to AFP, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesia-led
search as anguished relatives awaited news of their loved ones more than a day
after Flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.
"Papa come home, I still need Papa," Angela, the
daughter of the Indonesian pilot Irianto, begged in an emotional appeal on
local social media.
The Airbus A320-200 lost contact en route from Surabaya in
Indonesia's east Java to Singapore on Sunday after the crew requested a change
of flight plan due to stormy weather, in the third crisis for a Malaysian
carrier this year.
Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told AFP the
search was now concentrated on an oil patch spotted off Belitung island, across
from Kalimantan on Borneo island.
"We are making sure whether it was avtur (aviation
fuel) from the AirAsia plane or from a vessel because that location is a
shipping line," he said.
As the second day's search ended at dusk, National Search
and Rescue Agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said an Indonesian corvette was on
its way to collect an oil sample, with an announcement expected Tuesday.
Soelistyo earlier it was likely the plane was at the
"bottom of the sea".
The hypothesis is "based on the coordinates given to us
and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea", he told
journalists.
Ships and aircraft were searching an area where the sea is
40-50 metres (130-160 feet) deep, he said, adding that Indonesia was
coordinating with other countries to borrow any equipment needed to scour the
seabed.
- Distraught relatives -
Distraught relatives in Surabaya were desperately hoping for
news of loved ones as the international search expanded.
Intan, 28, said Indonesia needed overseas help to find the
plane which was carrying her brother and his family and friends.
"My hope is Indonesia seeks as much help as possible
from other countries. Don't claim 'We have sophisticated technology', just ask
other countries because they are better equipped," she told AFP, as
Jakarta welcomed offers of help from its neighbours.
"My prayer is I really, really hope that there will be
news about the people on board. Whatever it is, what is important is we know
where they are now," she said.
While the international operation has drawn comparisons with
the ongoing search for Malaysia Airlines MH370, Australian Prime Minister Tony
Abbot said it did not appear to be a great mystery.
"It doesn't appear that there's any particular mystery
here," Abbott told Sydney radio station 2GB.
"It's an aircraft that was flying a regular route on a
regular schedule, it struck what appears to have been horrific weather, and
it's down. But this is not a mystery like the MH370 disappearance and it's not
an atrocity like the MH17 shooting down."
China, which had 152 citizens on MH370, has offered to help
with the latest search.
- Miraculous escape -
One Indonesian family of 10 had a miraculous escape when
they arrived too late to catch Flight QZ8501.
"Maybe it is all God's plan that my family and I were
not on the flight. It was a blessing in disguise," said Christianawati,
36.
AirAsia said 155 of those on board were Indonesian, with
three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and
France. The Frenchman was the co-pilot.
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the twin-engine
aircraft around an hour after it left Surabaya's Juanda international airport
at about 5:35 am Sunday (2235 GMT Saturday).
Shortly before the plane disappeared, the pilot asked to
ascend by 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds but his request was
turned down due to another flight above him.
The missing plane was operated by AirAsia Indonesia, a unit
of Malaysian-based AirAsia which dominates Southeast Asia's booming low-cost
airline market.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago with poor roads and railways,
has seen explosive growth in low-cost air travel over recent years.
But the air industry has been blighted by low safety
standards in an area that also experiences extreme weather.
AirAsia, which has never suffered a fatal accident, said the
missing jet last underwent maintenance on November 16.
Its shares slumped 12 percent at the open but recovered
slightly to close 8.50 percent lower in Kuala Lumpur.
The plane's disappearance comes at the end of a disastrous
year for Malaysian aviation.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared while flying from
Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew, and in July
flight MH17 was shot down over troubled Ukraine killing all 298 on board.
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