AirAsia Rescue Crews Spot 'Large Objects' Underwater

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NBC News

BY M. ALEX JOHNSON

Search crews looking for the wreckage of AirAsia Flight 8501 have spotted two "large objects" about 90 feet deep in the Java Sea and were working to get a closer look at them, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said Saturday.

While Bambang Soelistyo, the head of the agency, said he was still awaiting photographic confirmation, he told reporters at a news conference in Jakarta, "I can assure you these are the parts of the AirAsia plane we have been looking for."

Heavy wind and waves continued to hamper search efforts, now in their seventh day, and Soelistyo said the strong current was making it difficult to operate the remote-controlled underwater vehicle that would send back pictures confirming the discovery.

The objects were found near an oil spill that authorities said indicated that they could be close to locating the plane's main fuselage, he said.

FULL story and a video at link.



Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/airasia-plane-crash/airasia-rescue-crews-spot-large-objects-underwater-n278821

[davidpdx]

1. It is very sad that this plane was lost

Based on this article it seems like there is a good chance that they will be able to find most of the bodies pretty easily and get the black box fairly quickly if the plane didn't break up much. It is also a good indication that there was no explosion, which if true would rule out a major malfunction or terrorism. Hopefully we will know soon for sure what the cause was.

[ColesCountyDem]

2. UPDATE:

AirAsia #QZ8501: Main wreckage of plane found, says Indonesian search and rescue agency

THE LATEST

1:57PM: Search and rescue crew are sending underwater remote-operated vehicles to take underwater pictures of the location where main wreckage and two large objects were spotted but rough seas are making it difficult.

1:50PM: Biggest batch of bodies sent to Surabaya from Pangkalan Bun - 9 males, 3 females, reports Channel NewsAsia. Forensics team are trying to identify the bodies retrieved so far but only some are undergoing autopsies as some families have declined, citing religious or cultural reasons.

10:53AM: Main wreckage of plane has been located, says Indonesia's search and rescue agency. Two large objects roughly 30 metres under the sea have been spotted near oil spills in the area near Pangkalan Bun.

9.19AM: The formation of ice in storm clouds caused by extreme bad weather may have caused the crash of AirAsia flight QZ8501, Indonesia’s weather officials said in the first official word from Jakarta on the reasons behind Southeast Asia’s latest aviation tragedy. “The most probable weather phenomenon is that icing caused the plane engines to be damaged," Indonesia's Met agency says in a 14-page report.

More: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/contact-with-airasia-flight-qz8501-bound-for-singapore-from-surabaya-lost-033803688.html