The site where the tail has been located is 80 to 90 kilometers outside the first priority search area.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Officers from the Amphibian Reconnaissance Battalion of the Indonesian Navy have found AirAsia flight QZ8501s tail in the Karimata Strait.
"The planes tail was found by the personnel of Amphibian Reconnaissance Battalion (Taifib). Two officers who spotted the tail are Sergeant Major Bovlen and Sergeant Chief Sudarna," Head of the National SAR Agency Bambang Soelistyo said here on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Bambang, the site where the tail has been located is 80 to 90 kilometers outside the first priority search area.
The coordinates of QZ8501s tail is located at 03.3839S and 109.4343E.
The Director for Training and Operation of SAR Agency, Supriyadi, noted the team has discovered the planes tail with registration code PK-AXC written on it. PK-AXC was the registration code of AirAsia flight QZ8501 that flew on Sunday (Dec 28) morning.
"The depth of the tail object is 30 meters. It can be lifted and the extent of effort required will depend on the ship that is on the job to retrieve it," Supriyadi explained in a press conference.
The Director added there are six ships on standby near the site. The team will also operate a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle.
AirAsia Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people on board, had gone missing on Sunday morning (Dec. 28) after losing contact with air traffic control on its way from Surabaya, East Java, to Singapore.
Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501 lost contact after the pilot requested to ascend to 38 thousand feet from 32 thousand feet to avoid stormy weather over the sea area between Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan.
The aircraft was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members. It took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 5:36 a.m. local time and lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. local time.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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