This information was released by National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Chairman Deputy Marshal F. Henry Bambang Soelistyo.
"Since Thursday morning, a team of divers has reached the location of the tail section of the plane. However, the search is hampered due to low visibility. Hence, the divers can only find the debris of the plane," Soelistyo remarked.
He explained that the team of divers is still waiting for the weather at the location to improve, so that they can begin searching for the planes black box, which is supposed to be placed in the tail section of the aircraft.
To retrieve the black box, Soelistyo said he had coordinated with the officials from the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).
AirAsia flight QZ8501 en route from Surabaya (East Java province) to Singapore lost contact with the airport authority on Dec. 28, 2014. The aircraft was carrying 162 passengers.
The plane lost contact after the pilot sought permission to ascend to 38 thousand feet from 32 thousand feet to avoid turbulent weather over the sea between Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan.
The aircraft was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members. It took off from the 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.
The plane, piloted by Captain Iriyanto and First Officer (FO) Remi Emmanuel Plesel, was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 8:30 a.m. local time.
Until the eleventh day of search operations, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), assisted by teams from several countries, recovered 40 bodies of passengers of the missing AirAsia QZ8501 aircraft.
(Reporting by Desi Purnamawati/Translating and editing by Amie Fenia Arimbi/Uu.INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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