Search-and-locate operations for missing AirAsia QZ8501 resume
The search for the missing AirAsia QZ8501 has resumed on Monday morning (Dec 29).
"Five aircraft will be sent to search for the plane, including two C-130 military transport aircraft and a Boeing 737," Indonesian air force spokesman Hadi Cahyanto told AFP.
"Two planes have already left. Three more will follow suit. It is cloudy in some parts but still bright. We are focusing the search area in the waters on the eastern and northern part of Belitung island," Cahyanto added.
Channel NewsAsia also understands that a second C-130 from the Republic of Singapore Air Force was deployed for search-and-locate operations before 7am Singapore time on Monday.
Singapore Navy sends 3 vessels to help in QZ8501 search
The Republic of Singapore Navy has sent three naval vessels to help in search efforts for the missing Air Asia flight QZ8501.
The latest navy asset that sailed off on Monday (Dec 29) evening from Changi Naval Base is an endurance class landing ship tank - the RSS Persistence.
The RSS Persistence is an endurance class landing ship tank, and has previously been deployed as part of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in Aceh.
This comes on top of two other naval vessels that had set sail earlier to join the search - the frigate RSS Supreme and the missile corvette RSS Valour. Two C-130 aircraft have also been committed to help in search efforts for the missing aircraft.
Teacher, maid among missing passengers on QZ8501
Family and friends of the missing QZ8501 passengers continued to trickle into the holding area at Changi Airport Terminal 2 on Monday (Dec 29), set aside for the next-of-kin to receive information and support.
Among them was Mr Andy Chen, the boyfriend of passenger Maria Florentina Widodo, a biology teacher at Hwa Chong Institution. The Singaporean man told reporters: “I’m flying to Surabaya to see my girlfriend’s (Ms Widodo’s) family.”
Another who showed up at the holding area was the maid agent for Indonesian Yuni Astutik, 40. Ms Astutik, who has children, had returned to Indonesia to attend a wedding a month ago, and was among the 155 passengers due to arrive in Singapore Sunday morning on the missing AirAsia flight.
Search for QZ8501: Indonesia accepts Singapore's offer of specialists, equipment
Indonesia has accepted Singapore's offer of two teams of specialists and equipment to assist in the search and locate efforts for missing AirAsia QZ8501 flight.
The four specialists from Ministry of Transport's Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), together with two sets of underwater locator beacon detectors, are ready to be deployed, pending the Indonesian authorities' activation.
The detectors come with power microphones that can detect the acoustic signals, or "pings", that are emitted once every second from the underwater locator beacon attached to the plane's flight data recorder.
These pings are transmitted underwater for 30 days. If detected, an operator will plot the coordinates of where the loudest pings are heard. Divers or underwater autonomous vehicles will then be deployed to this location.
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