Bad weather hampers recovery of bodies

Stormy weather grounded helicopters , but almost 50 divers were able to begin searching for the wreckage after debris was found in the Java Sea three days after the plane vanished over the Java Sea.

Indonesian Air Force personnel on Tuesday, December 30, show debris, including a suitcase, that was found floating near the site where AirAsia Flight QZ8501 disappeared on Sunday. Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency confirmed that the debris found is from that flight, the airline said Tuesday.

Key Questions About QZ8501

·        Did weather really take down the jet?

It’s possible, of course, but a half-dozen other planes passed through the storm-struck area where the AirAsia jet vanished. “What did those pilots know that the accident crew didn’t know?” A question being posed on the social networking sites.

·        Who was in control of the plane?

Typically, the crew of a commercial airliner will fly it on autopilot as long as possible, even when making an altitude change. But the jet could have hit turbulence from the storm that became too much for autopilot to handle — forcing the pilot to take over.

·        Did the plane have ACARS?

The Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System sends flight data from sensors to ground stations in short bursts, providing vital clues in the case of an accident. When Air France 447 crashed into the Atlantic in 2009, putting its black boxes out of reach until 2011, it was ACARS messages that revealed the pilots were getting incorrect speed data.

Lieutenant Airman Tri Wobowo who discovered the debris from the missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501 told a newspaper on Tuesday that three of the bodies recovered were holding hands.

Tri Wobowo who also co-piloted the C130 Hercules aircraft that first saw the items of the aircraft off the coast of Borneo earlier, described the scene that greeted rescuers in the water, reported The Independent.

“There are seven to eight people. Three [of them] again hold hands,” he told Indonesian national newspaper Kompas.

As well as the bodies, the pilot reported seeing luggage, buoys and pieces of the aircraft itself – painted the distinctive red, black and white of AirAsia.

The airliner’s disappearance halfway through a two-hour flight between Surabaya, Indonesia, and Singapore triggered an international hunt for the aircraft involving dozens of planes, ships and helicopters. It is still unclear what brought the plane down.

Images of the debris and a bloated body shown on Indonesian television sent a spasm of anguish through the room at the Surabaya airport where relatives awaited news.

Some 40 bodies have been recovered at sea from the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 that went missing on Sunday, Manahan Simorangkir Kadispenal, a spokesman for Indonesia’s navy, said.

The first sign of the jet turned up about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from its last known coordinates. Parts of the interior, including the oxygen tank, were brought to the nearest town, Pangkalan Bun. Another find included a bright blue plastic suitcase, completely unscratched.

First Adm. Sigit Setiayanta, commander of the Naval Aviation Center at Surabaya Air Force base, told reporters six corpses were spotted about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Central Kalimantan province.

Rescue workers descended on ropes from a hovering helicopter to retrieve bodies. Efforts were hindered by 2-meter (6-foot) waves and strong winds, National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi has been quoted by media in Indonesia.

The first body was later picked up by a navy ship. Officials said as many as six others followed, but they disagreed about the exact number.

Malaysia-based AirAsia’s loss comes on top of the still-unsolved disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March with 239 people aboard, and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July over Ukraine, which killed all 298 passengers and crew.

Nearly all the passengers and crew were Indonesians, who are frequent visitors to Singapore, particularly on holidays.