This is certainly not a good way to end 2014. Another missing plane – this time AirAsia, Fight 8501, carrying about 155 passengers and 7 crew members.
The jetliner took off from Surabaya, Indonesia and was headed to Singapore when it suddenly disappeared from radar without issuing the standard distress signal – indicating there was a potential issue.
Air traffic control does confirm that before they lost contact they received a request from the pilots asking permission to alter the level of altitude. This could have been in response to the heavy storms that were surrounding the area where the plane ended up losing communication.
Java Sea – the site of the disturbance and could have been the main reason why the two pilots were having a hard time stabilizing the controls of the passenger jet.
Of course nobody wants to consider the worst but it seems very likely that the stormy weather could have ultimately initiated the worst.
As in all cases like this, as soon as the SOS signal is official, the rescue mission is arranged. Almost immediately, three aircrafts from Indonesia and two from Singapore were en route to the Java Sea but had to suspend their search until daylight. In the meantime some reports confirm that there are boats in the area performing their own operation in the hopes of securing a lead.
Meanwhile grief-stricken relatives have already crowded a room at Surabaya airport as they hold on to the likelihood that their loved ones will be found.
According to the manifest posted on Facebook – there were 155 passengers total – 138 adults, 16 children, and 1 infant. There were also 2 pilots and 5 cabin crew.
The nationalities included, 1 from Singapore, 1 from Malaysia, 1 from France, 3 from South Korean and 157 from Indonesia.