REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia searched the Java Sea on Monday for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing after its pilot failed to gain permission to alter course to avoid a storm cell during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

Flight QZ8501 did not issue a distress signal and disappeared five minutes after requesting a change of course on Sunday, said government and transport officials.

Air Force spokesman Hadi Thahjanto said two C-130 Hercules planes were focusing their search efforts in areas northeast of Indonesia's Bangka island, which lies roughly halfway between Surabaya and Singapore, in the Java Sea.

Singapore said it had sent two naval vessels to help look for the Airbus (AIR.PA) A320-200 operated by Indonesia AirAsia, adding a C-130 took part in the search on Sunday. Malaysia would send three naval vessels and a C-130 to assist, Singapore's Channel News Asia television reported. An Australian P3 Orion surveillance plane left Darwin to join the search, Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio said. The United States, Britain, South Korea and India also offered help.

"We have been coordinating with parties from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia who have (expressed) a willingness to assist," Tatang Zainuddin, director of operations at the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency, told Reuters.

Indonesia AirAsia is 49 percent owned by Malaysia-based budget carrier Air Asia (AIRA.KL). The AirAsia group, including affiliates in Thailand, the Philippines and India, has not suffered a crash since its Malaysian budget operations began in 2002.

Onboard Flight QZ8501 were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, one person each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain, while the co-pilot was French.

There was bad weather in the area at the time and the aircraft had been flying at 32,000 feet before asking to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid clouds, said Joko Muryo Atmodjo, air transportation director at Indonesia's transport ministry.

Permission had not yet been given due to traffic in the area, and five minutes later, at 6.17 am on Sunday (1917 ET Saturday), the plane lost contact with air traffic control, Atmodjo added.

The pilot "was requesting deviation due to en-route weather before communication with the aircraft was lost," the airline said.

"We are cooperating with the relevant authorities to the fullest extent to determine the cause of this incident," said Indonesia AirAsia Chief Executive Sunu Widyatmoko.

The Indonesian pilot was experienced and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November, the airline said. The aircraft had accumulated about 23,000 flight hours in some 13,600 flights, according to Airbus.

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