REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The USS Fort Worth's sonar has discovered two metal objects in the first priority search sector located in Kumai Bay of Central Kalimantan Province, stated Head of the National SAR Agency Bambang Soelistyo.
"The search effort using the sonar of USS Fort Worth, on Tuesday morning, has discovered metal objects that are predicted to be the fuselage. The objects are the sixth and seventh findings of our search," Bambang Soelistyo remarked here on Tuesday evening.
He revealed that the ship was trying to operate a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) on Tuesday to ascertain whether the located objects were indeed the parts of the missing fuselage of AirAsia QZ8501.
"They are trying to confirm the status of both objects. The findings are located in the first priority search area," the chief noted.
The SAR Agency has decided to broaden its search priority area. The additional priority search area is located outside the first priority area.
On the tenth day of search, the joint SAR team will continue to evacuate the victims and search for the aircraft's debris, which is believed to have been scattered due to the rough waves.
The SAR team will search for the fuselage and black box in the second priority search area. Ships with sonar and underwater detection equipment are joining the search effort in the area.
Several ships taking part in the search operation include KRI Hasanuddin, KRI Usman Harun, Geo Survey vessel, Baruna Jaya I ship, and Cress Onix ship.
The AirAsia Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people on board, 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 AirAsia flight QZ8501 lost contact after the pilot requested to ascend to 38 thousand feet from 32 thousand feet to avoid stormy 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 the 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.
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