SINGAPORE—An AirAsia plane with 162 passengers and crew on board went missing on its way to Singapore at approximately 7:30 a.m. on December 27. The AirAsia plane was later found at the bottom of the sea, according to radar data.
Indonesia asked the US for help in search for the missing flight. China provided aircraft and ships to help with the search.
AirAsia released a statement on the day the incident occurred stating, “AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24hrs this morning.
At the present time we unfortunately have no further information regarding the status of the passengers and crew members on board, but we will keep all parties informed as more information becomes available. The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC.
At this time, search and rescue operations are in progress and AirAsia is cooperating fully and assisting the rescue service. AirAsia has established an Emergency Call Centre that is available for family or friends of those who may have been on board the aircraft. The number is: +622129850801.
AirAsia will release further information as soon as it becomes available. Updated information will also be posted on the AirAsia website, www.airasia.com.”
After three days of searching, debris and bodies were recovered. Searchers found more than seven bodies from the flight including a flight attendant.
Several family members of AirAsia passengers saw debris and a dead body live on television before being advised of the remains that were found.
Two families that were originally suppose to board the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 missed it due to missed emails and hepatitis. Of those 15 people, seven of them were children.
