189 lost in jet crash
ALL 189 people on board a brand-new Lion Air plane are believed dead after the aircraft plunged into the ocean 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta early yesterday.
Lion Air Flight JT610 was flying from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang, in the Bangka Belitung islands east of Sumatra, when it disappeared.
Last night, the airline conceded the plane had suffered a technical problem on its previous flight. The pilot of the relatively new Boeing 737 made a final desperate distress call to Jakarta moments before it went down.
ALL 189 people on board a brand new Lion Air plane are believed dead after the aircraft plunged into the ocean 13 minutes after take off from Jakarta early yesterday.
A search is now under way to find the plane and its black box.
Lion Air’s flight JT610 was flying from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta and bound for Pangkal Pinang, in the Bangka Belitung islands east of Sumatra, when it disappeared.
There are reports the pilot contacted air traffic control, requesting to return to Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta and was given permission to return but soon after disappeared from radar and all contact was lost.
Lion Air said the plane was manufactured this year and had only been in its fleet since August 15.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 was last night believed to be resting somewhere on the 35m-deep ocean floor, just 25 nautical miles (43kms) from Jakarta’s main port at Tanjung Priok.
Authorities need to find the wreckage and the black box to determine just how the brand new aircraft plunged so disastrously into the ocean.
The breakdown of those on board includes two pilots, six flight attendants, one child, two infants and 178 adults.
Distraught relatives of the missing flocked to Pangkal Pinang airport as news of the crash spread.
The pilot had 6000 hours of flying experience and the copilot had 5000 hours.
An Indonesian oil company tugboat was among the first vessels to reach the crash site and found wreckage, including personal effects, mobile phones, life vests, buoys and other debris.
Search and rescue agencies were also quick to the scene, given its location just 34 nautical miles (62kms) from the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) office in Jakarta.
Flight JT610 took off from Jakarta airport at 6.20am local time yesterday and at 6.33am all contact with the flight was lost.
FlightRadar 24 tweeted that the plane was at an altitude of 3650 feet (1100m) when it lost all contactcontact.
Basarnas chief, Muhammad Syaugti, said rescue boats and a helicopter had been deployed to the scene of the crash.
“Once we arrived at the coordinates we found aircraft debris, buoys, handphones as well as some other pieces. It was around two nautical miles from the co-ordinates given by air traffic control,” Mr Syaugi said.
“The water there is around 30 to 35 metres deep. We are now still trying to dive to find the aircraft. Hopefully the process would not take long.”
Video released by authorities showed large amounts of debris floating on the ocean at the suspected crash site as authorities combed the area, collecting debris including bodies, aircraft parts and the personal effects of passengers.
Boeing offered condolences
to the families of all those on board and pledged assistance in the investigation to uncover what happened-happened.
“The Boeing Company is deeply saddened by the loss of Flight JT 610. We express our concern for those on board, and extend heartfelt sympathies to their families and loved ones.
“Boeing stands ready to provide technical assistance to the accident investigation. In accordance with international protocol, all inquiries about aviation accident investigations must be directed to the Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee,” Boeing said in a statement.
And Lion Air issued a statement, naming the plane’s crew and opened a crisis centre for all those affected.
In 2013 a Lion Air plane, carrying 101 passengers and crew, crashed into the sea as it attempted to land at Bali airport. No one died in that crash.