REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The National Search and Rescue (SAR) Agency (Basarnas) expanded its search and rescue operation to locate the missing Air Asia QZ8501 aircraft.
"After some evaluation, we have expanded the operation to 13 zones of search area," Head of Basarnas Air Chief Marshal F.H. Bambang Soelistyo stated here on Tuesday.
The SAR team had earlier conducted search for the missing jet in four zones on Sunday and seven zones on the Monday.
"The resources involved are the same as the previous operation. However, today's search effort is assisted by some ships and aircraft from the Army and the National Police, and one ship belonging to a survey institute," Soelistyo reported.
The Basarnas had previously received a report linked to the missing Air Asia jet. Two local fishermen reported that they saw the ill-fated aircraft, while another fisherman said to have heard a boom at the local waters.
"We follow up these reports, and they become one of our concerns for the search," he noted.
The Air Asia's Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people had gone missing on Sunday morning (Dec. 28) after losing contact with air traffic control on its way from Surabaya, East Java, to Singapore.
The Indonesia Air Asia flight QZ8501 lost contact after the pilot requested to ascend to 38 thousand feet from 32 thousand feet to avoid bad weather over the sea area between Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan.
The aircraft was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members. It took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 5:36 a.m. local time and lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. local time.
The plane, piloted by Captain Iriyanto and First Officer (FO) Remi Emmanuel Plesel, was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 8:30 a.m. local time.
Seven foreigners are among the passengers of the missing jet. The foreign nationals comprise three Koreans, a Singaporean, a British, a Malaysian, and a First Officer (FO) from France.
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