Search Area Expanded for AirAsia Flight Victims, Data Recorders | WPN World People News

The head of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency said the search area for the wreckage and victims of AirAsia Flight 8501 is being expanded, as the hunt for the plane's "black boxes," or flight data recorders, continues.

Henry Bambang Soelistyo made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday, saying authorities are opening up a "second priority" search area in the Java Sea off Indonesia. The plane went down into the sea more than a week ago during a storm, though no official cause has been determined.

"All underwater devices have started to be revealed in the search location priority. The divers have also dived lower in the search area," he said.

Recovery teams have been struggling to reach what they believe to be the plane’s tail section, where the flight data recorders are located.

Forensic experts from Australia have been working with Indonesia to assist in identifying the bodies. There were 162 people on board the plane when it crashed, but so far only 37 bodies have been retrieved.

In Jakarta Monday, the Indonesian government suspended a number of aviation officials following the revelation that AirAsia Flight 8501 did not have the proper permits to fly the day it went down.

The Ministry of Transport said the airline was approved to fly the route from the city of Surabaya to Singapore on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, but took off on a Sunday. The ministry has suspended AirAsia flights on the route and will conduct a full investigation, separate from the crash investigation.

The twin-engine Airbus A320 disappeared from radar without a distress call nearly halfway into what was supposed to be a two-hour flight from Surabaya to Singapore.

Before takeoff and during the last moments of the flight, the pilots requested to fly at a higher altitude to avoid a storm. The request was not approved because other planes were in the area.

Source: Voice of America