INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

AirAsia Flight Found: Probe Launched To Determine Cause Of Tragic Plane Crash

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 03:33 PST, Dec 30, 2014

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501 was believed to have been spotted overnight by an Australian Orion aircraft.

The plane spotted several objects near Nangka island, about 700 miles away from where the AirAsia flight last made radio contact.

A few hours ago, official confirmation came.

The recovery process began Tuesday. Indonesian rescuers started to recover bodies and wreckage from the sea just off the coast of Borneo.

Djoko Murjatmodjo, a senior official under Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry made an official statement to the press about AirAsia Flight 8501.

“[The Ministry has confirmed that] wreckage was from the body of the plane.”

AirAsia Flight QZ8501 was carrying a total of 162 passengers, including crew members, when it vanished. There is presently no word as to whether any survivors have been found or if everyone aboard the flight was lost.

Despite emotional reactions as the first images of deceased passengers were shown on television, some family members are hoping against hope that their loved ones may be found alive.

Thus far, at least 40 bodies have been found. Unfortunately, the AirAsia airplane has yet to be located.

A life jacket and part of an emergency exit door were found by searchers, leading some to wonder whether or not there are indeed survivors of AirAsia Flight QZ8501.

As the world watches and waits for further updates about the recovery process, there are theories emerging as to how and why this AirAsia flight met such a tragic end.

According to an en exclusive report by Reuters, a probe into the AirAsia plane crash is already underway.

A source close to the ongoing investigation told Reuters that officials were looking into the timing of the request, which was reportedly denied.

The probe into the AirAsia crash, which the anonymous source said is in its early stages, is likely meant to help shield AirAsia from responsibility for the flight crashing should the surviving family members opt to sue the airline.

Officials are trying to determine exactly when the pilot, Captain Iriyanto, made his request and under what circumstances.

The source, who requested to remain unknown because he’s not permitted to give a statement, said that investigators wanted to know “why [the pilot] did not climb sooner.”

“Should [Captain Iriyanto] have climbed earlier? Other aircraft were flying at a higher altitude in that area. How did the two pilots react to the weather? We are asking those questions.”

Reuters learned that Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee or NTSC will work closely with the United States, France, and Great Britain to understand exactly what went happened.

Captain Iriyanto was said to be a highly experienced pilot. The 53-year-old was said to have spent nearly a decade training other pilots.

AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes, warned the media that it was “too early to speculate” as to what factors are responsible for the plane crash.

In Surabaya, Fernandes told reporters that he had the utmost confidence in the pilot.

“He came from the air force, one of their best graduates. He came from Surabaya, so he knows the area very well.”

[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Share this article: AirAsia Flight Found: Probe Launched To Determine Cause Of Tragic Plane Crash
AirAsia
More from Inquisitr