Pilot killed
Hours after the crash, the Indian mission in Indonesia tweeted: “Our deepest condolences on the tragic loss of lives in the Lion Air Plane crash, off the coast of Jakarta today. Most unfortunate that Indian Pilot Bhavye Suneja who was flying JT610 also lost his life.” The embassy said it was in touch with the local crisis centre and coordinating for all assistance.
Suneja lived in Jakarta with his wife Garima Sethi, who he married about two years ago. In the airline captain’s family are his father Gulshan Suneja, who owns a medicine supply business, mother Sangeeta Suneja, a senior manager (cargo) with Air India, a younger sister and a pet dog.
Neighbours who knew the Suneja family closely said they were in constant touch with authorities in Indonesia. KS Chauhan, who said he has known the Sunejas since 1986, expressed shock. “He was like my child… It is difficult for me to even imagine that Bhavye is no more,” he said.
Chandrakala Gupta, who lives next to the Suneja family’s house in Mayur Vihar, said: “They are very grounded and humble people. The family is extremely saddened by Bhavye’s sudden demise.”
Monday’s accident was a blow to the Indonesia’s aviation safety record after the lifting of bans on its airlines by the European Union and the US.
The aircraft that crashed began its operation as Lion Air on August 15 this year.
Flight tracking data from the Flightradar24 website, which tracks air traffic in real time, showed the aircraft climbed to around 5,000 feet before losing, and then regaining height. It then began falling towards the sea. It was last recorded at 3,650 feet and its speed had increased to 345 knots, the website showed.
Divers were trying till late on Monday to locate the wreckage of the aircraft. The top priority for investigators will be finding the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder to help determine the cause, safety experts said.
Privately owned budget carrier Lion Air was founded in 1999 and its only fatal accident to date was when a MD-82 crashed upon landing at Solo City in 2004, killing 25 of the 163 people on board, according to the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network.