Within hours of the passenger list being released for the missing AirAsia QZ8501 flight, Twitter users were posting their pleas that their friends are found safe. Less than 24 hours after the flight went missing around storms near Indonesia, it was revealed that it was possible fuel had run out on the Air Asia flight .
Reuters states that the AirAsia incident took place on December 27 at 6:17 p.m. EDT, and that the plane left from Surabaya, Java, at 5.30 a.m. local time. It should have landed at Changi Airport in Singapore at 8.30 a.m. local time.
NBC News reports that the flight pathway involved coming in contact with multiple storms and quotes Michael Palmer, lead forecaster at The Weather Channel, who stated the following.
“[AirAsia Flight QZ8501] lost contact with air traffic control after requesting permission to change course due to weather. While there is no clear indication of what happened to the jet and what caused its disappearance, there were numerous showers and hail throughout the Java Sea and the flight path. The large clusters of thunderstorms, some as tall as 50,000 feet, would have forced a pilot to change course, and [AirAsia Flight QZ8501] could have run into turbulence and hail. We don’t know if it was the cause but certainly the weather was not calm.”
NBC News reported in a separate story that the relatives are desperately awaiting any news. About 14 hours after the AirAsia flight went missing, the passenger list was released on the Indonesian government’s website . Since the names of the passengers have been released, friends are showing their support on social media sources like Twitter. Other friends of AirAsia passengers are outraged at the racist implications by other Twitter users.
I hate The Twitter racist trolls. My friend and his daughter are missing on #AirAsia and there are racist comments instead of support?!
— Lucianna Middleton (@LuluLueyLuce) December 28, 2014
The Daily Mail reports that the first man listed on the AirAsia flight list, Chi Man Choi, was a British national. Choi, traveling with his 2-year-old daughter, Zoe, was traveling with her father to meet her older brother and mother.
On Twitter, the stories about other passengers and crew are being told by friends who are posting statuses about their heartache. Tweets include friends of the daughter of the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 pilot.
Currently, searches for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 are on hold until daybreak on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal .
PLEASE PRAY FOR AIR ASIA QZ8501 MY BESTFRIEND’S FRIEND SHES ONE OF THE PASSENGER THIS IS REALLY A BAD NEWS ? #PrayForQZ8501
— m. (@lovatohero) December 28, 2014
Last Pic of My Friend.. Wira , Ganny , Hendra dan David.. Pray for Air Asia QZ8501 #AirAsia8501 pic.twitter.com/beEBehDDA3
— Andrew Liem (@LiemAndrew84) December 28, 2014
My thoughts are with Wismoyo Ari Prambudi, FA of #AirAsia #QZ8501 ,my close highschool friend and debating teammate. pic.twitter.com/PDXhlXZ840
— GA (@genturtama) December 28, 2014
praying w/ u RT @my_coco06 :AirAsia plane fm SUB – SIN disappeared this morning1 of passengers was my friend, hope will be found soon #QZ8501
— iamTEN13 (@wonsugarkyub) December 28, 2014
Yang sabar yo mba ? ” @dearhima : Please GOD, i want a good news about my friend is found alive & well #AirAsia #QZ5801 ”
— Han (@Maruf__han) December 28, 2014
[All images are from the linked references. Feature image is from a tweet by Sandy Ariyanti.]
