Black box of crashed AirAsia jet found
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies
Jakarta/Pangkalan Bun (Indonesia), January 11 2015:
Indonesian divers on Sunday found the black box of the AirAsia plane which crashed in the Java Sea a fortnight ago with 162 people aboard, the country's transport ministry said.
But they failed to retrieve it because it was stuck under debris from the main body of the plane, it added.
"The navy divers in Jada-yat state boat have succeeded in finding a very important instrument, the black box of AirAsia QZ8501," said Tonny Budiono, a senior ministry official.
Earlier on Sunday, Indonesian authorities said strong signals were emanating from the crucial black box recorders of an AirAsia plane that crashed into the sea two weeks ago, killing all 162 people on board.
Military divers were trying to follow the pings to the boxes, believed to be on the floor of the Java Sea about 30 metres (100 feet) underwater, SB Supriyadi, a director with the National Search and Rescue Agency said.
The hunt came after the mangled tail of the Airbus jet was lifted from the sea on Saturday.
"The ping was detected about one kilometre (0.6 miles) east of the tail," Supriyadi told AFP at the search headquarters of Panglakun Bun.
The Indonesian meteorological agency has said stormy weather likely caused the Airbus A320-200 to crash.
But a definitive answer is impossible without the black boxes, which should contain the pilots' final words as well as various flight data.
Indonesian navy divers head to the navy vessel KRI Banda Aceh during operations to lift the tail of AirAsia flight QZ8501 in the Java sea.
Supriyadi and other officials involved in the search said they were confident the pings were from the black boxes, describing the signals as strong.
Supriyadi said an object believed to be the main body of the plane had also been detected close to the area from where the pings were emanating.
"We are now trying to check by sending our divers," he added.
The search efforts, which have involved US, Chinese and other foreign naval ships, has recovered just 48 bodies.
Supriyadi said many of the bodies were believed to be trapped in the cabin, so reaching that part of the wreckage was also a top priority.
All but seven of those on board were Indonesian.
The non-Indonesians were three South Koreans, one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one Briton and a Frenchman � co-pilot Remi Plesel.