28/12/2014

AirAsia QZ8501 missing with 162 on board

Airbus flight with 162 aboard loses contact
The route of missing AirAsia-flight-QZ8501 took it mainly over open water. Source: Supplied

The search was continuing tonight for the AirAsia plane carrying 162 people, which has gone missing in bad weather over the Java Sea en route from Indonesia to Singapore in the third crisis for a Malaysian carrier this year.

AFP reported air traffic controllers lost contact with the Airbus A320-200 around an hour after it left Juanda international airport in Surabaya, east Java, at 5:20am local time.

It was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 8:30am (11.30 AEDT). Shortly before disappearing, the plane asked permission from Jakarta air traffic control to track away from its flight plan and climb above adverse weather in an area renowned for severe thunderstorms.

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AirAsia plane downed in Belitung waters

AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore is believed to have crashed at the location 03.22.46 South and 108.50.07 East, in waters around 145 kilometers from Belitung, a National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) official has said.

Basarnas Pangkalpinang spokesperson Supriandi said, as reported by Antara news agency on Sunday, that it had dispatched a rescue team to Belitung.

It is believed that the Airbus A320 had circled over the sea near Belitung to avoid a storm before it experienced severe turbulence and crashed into the ocean. QZ8502 is reported to have had 155 passengers on board, 16 of which were children. (ebf)

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AirAsia says missing jet hit by bad weather
AirAsia says the pilot of flight QZ8501 that went missing between Indonesia and Singapore had requested 'deviation' from the its flight plan because of bad weather

'The aircraft ... was requesting deviation due to en route weather,' the Malaysia-based carrier said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

'Communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC).'

The plane with 162 people on board has gone missing on its way from Indonesia to Singapore, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year.

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AirAsia flight carrying 162 people from Indonesia to Singapore missing

An AirAsia flight with 162 people on board lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday after the pilots asked to change course to avoid bad weather during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, Indonesian officials said.

Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ 8501, an Airbus 320-200, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower at 6:17 a.m. (2317 GMT), officials said.

"The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to enroute weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian air traffic control," the airline said in a statement.

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Missing AirAsia flight: AirAsia goes grey for QZ8501

AirAsia's social media pages have switched to a sombre grey in support of missing flight QZ8501.

Soon after an announcement was made on the disappearance of flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore on Sunday morning, AirAsia's profile pictures and cover photos on Facebook and Twitter were switched to gray.

The Facebook pages of all of AirAsia's country subsidiaries have also switched to dark logos.

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AirAsia Live: Did QZ8501 fly at ground speed unsuitable for the altitude?
11.54 am: Was AirAsia pilot headed for a disaster with altitude change?

The air traffic control and AirAsia have said that the pilot of the missing flight QZ8501 had asked for an increase in altitude of the flight as the plane seemed to have run into some bad weather and wanted to avoid the clouds. The flight went missing shortly after that.

Aviation expert Gerry Soejatman tweeted out a 'leaked' picture of the ATC screen on QZ8501. He seemed to be suggesting that the altitude of the plane and the ground speed of the aircraft didn't seem to be fine.

However, though the 'leaked' picture has raised doubts about the expertise of the flight's pilot Air Asia has released a statement saying the the pilot manning the aircraft suitably experienced. The flight commander had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours as experience.

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AirAsia plane missing with 162 on board
People queue at an AirAsia counter at Changi Airport in Singapore. Indonesia's Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said an AirAsia aircraft, flight number QZ 8501from Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower on Sunday at 6:17 a.m local time. (2317 GMT). The Airbus 320-200 had 155 passengers and crew on board, another Indonesian Transport official said. REUTERS/Edgar Su

An AirAsia flight with 162 people on board lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday after the pilots asked to change course to avoid bad weather during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, Indonesian officials said.

Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ 8501, an Airbus 320-200, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower at 6:17 a.m. (2317 GMT), officials said. “The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to enroute weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian air traffic control,” the airline said in a statement.

No distress signal had been sent, said Joko Muryo Atmodjo, air transportation director at the Indonesian Transport Ministry.

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AirAsia plane with 161 people onboard lost contact in Indonesia:official
Undated file photo shows AirAsia aircraft on the tarmac of an airport. AirAsia said on Dec. 28, 2014 in a statement that its flight QZ8501 from Surabaya of Indonesia to Singapore had lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 in the morning (2324 Dec. 27 GMT). The A320-200 had 155 people. (Xinhua)

JAKARTA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- An AirAsia passenger plane with 161 people on board lost contact with ground control Sunday after departing from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore.

An official with the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation told a press conference at Jakarta airport said among the people on board, there are 155 passengers, two pilots and four air stewards.

The QZ8501 flight lost communication 42 minutes after taking off at 5:35 a.m. in staff at Indonesia's Surabaya airport. The plane is scheduled to land in Singapore at 8:30 a.m. local time. Among the passengers, there are 149 Indonesians,three South Koreans, one Singaporean, one British and one Malaysian, local media quoted Indonesian Transportation Ministry as saying.

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AirAsia flight QZ8501: Barack Obama briefed, White House monitoring situation

The White House said it was monitoring the situation surrounding an AirAsia plane that disappeared traveling from Indonesia to Singapore and that President Barack Obama was briefed on the matter.

The Airbus A320-200 with 162 people on board left Juanda international airport in Surabaya in east Java at 5.20am on Sunday and had been expected to arrive in Singapore at 8.30am (0030 GMT).

"The president has been briefed on AirAsia Flight 8501 and White House officials will continue

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Missing AirAsia flight: Captain had 6,100 flying hours

The captain in command of missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501 had a total of 6,100 flying hours, according to AirAsia Indonesia.

In a statement on Sunday, it said that there were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer on board, adding that the first officer had a total of 2,275 flying hours.

Flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with Indonesian air traffic control at 7.24am local time.

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AirAsia Flight QZ8501 loses contact with Indonesian air traffic
Missing AirAsia flight: Indonesia in search and rescue, Malaysia to assist, says Liow

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Missing AirAsia flight: Stay strong, Tony Fernandes urges

AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes (pic) has asked his company to stay strong after Flight QZ8501 lost communication with Indonesia's Surabaya airport 42 minutes after takeoff at 5:35am local time Sunday.

“We will be putting out another statement soon.  Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We must stay strong,” tweeted Fernandes at 12.52pm on Sunday.

The plane with 162 people aboard lost contact with ground control on Sunday after takeoff from Indonesia on the way to Singapore, and the airline said search and rescue operations were underway.

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Missing AirAsia flight: 155 passengers and seven crew aboard, says Indonesia
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Missing AirAsia flight: FlightRadar reports last known location of missing plane
Missing AirAsia flight: Plane made slight turning before losing contact, says report
Missing AirAsia flight: Majority of passengers are Indonesian nationals

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AirAsia Carriers Have Clean Safety Record

Until Sunday, AirAsia Bhd.5099.KU +0.68% and its regional affiliates enjoyed a nearly flawless safety record, with no fatal accidents involving their planes, according to aviation industry experts.

The Malaysian discount carrier was launched in 2001 with two planes when entrepreneur Tony Fernandes and his partners bought the defunct airline for a token sum of 25 U.S. cents.

The airline has quickly grown to become the biggest carrier in Malaysia and is among the pioneers of discount air travel in Asia, setting up affiliates in several countries. From its onset, AirAsia has made safety one of its top priorities, according to the airline, having invested significantly in pilot training and aircraft-maintenance programs.

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Full Coverage:
Bangkok Post: AirAsia plane search partially halted
Arab News: Still no sighting of missing AirAsia plane after 12 hours
ABC News: Search and Rescue Operation Suspended for Missing AirAsia Jet
Wall Street Journal: AirAsia Carriers Have Clean Safety Record
BDlive: AirAsia plane with 162 on board missing en route to Singapore
Inquirer.net: Indonesian official: Search for missing AirAsia plane suspended
ABC News: Missing AirAsia Jet Indonesia's Latest Air Woe
India Today: AirAsia greys out logo after flight goes missing
The Independent: AirAsia QZ8501 missing: Plane carrying 162 missing over Java sea
Sky News Au: AirAsia says missing jet hit by bad weather
Inquirer.net: AirAsia flight QZ8501: Singapore military vessels and planes on standby
ABC News: AirAsia 8501 Missing Over Pacific After Pilots Request Course Change
Gizmodo: AirAsia Plane Goes Missing Over Indonesia With 162 People On Board
Jakarta Post: Basarnas dispatches vessel for AirAsia search operation
Zee News: AirAsia flight QZ8501 asked for route deviation before it disappeared
Wall Street Journal: AirAsia QZ8501 From Indonesia to Singapore Loses Contact
Star Online: Missing AirAsia flight: Captain had 6100 flying hours
GMA News: No Pinoy aboard missing AirAsia flight
Xinhua: AirAsia plane with 161 people onboard lost contact in Indonesia:official


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