Indonesia AirAsia Airbus A320-200. (Photo: Achdiyatma Reza/flickr/cc)
Dec 28, 2014
A jet carrying 162 people went missing early Sunday over the Java Sea. According to news reports, the AirAsia plane, an Airbus A320-200, was flying from Indonesia to Singapore and lost contact with air traffic control about 42 minutes after takeoff. No distress call was made.
Bad weather including dense storm clouds, heavy wind, and lightening was reported in the area, and an air search operation has now been suspended for the night.
According to the Associated Press:
Aircraft searching for AirAsia Flight 8501 called off the effort for the night and will resume at Monday morning, said Achmad Toha of Indonesia's search and rescue agency. Some ships were continuing the search overnight, he said.
The plane took off Sunday morning from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, and was about halfway to its destination, Singapore, when it vanished from radar.
The last communication between the pilot and air traffic control was at 6:13 a.m. (2313 GMT Saturday), when the pilot 'asked to avoid clouds by turning left and going higher to 34,000 feet (10,360 meters).' It was last seen on radar at 6:16 a.m., and a minute later was no longer there, Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation, told reporters.
Agence France-Press reports that hundreds of Indonesians descended on the Juanda International Airport near Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday hoping for news of the missing flight.
AirAsia's Chief Executive Tony Fernandes, who has flown to Surabaya, told the BBC: "We don't want to speculate but right now of course the plane has been missing for 12 hours and there's a deep sense of depression here."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
A jet carrying 162 people went missing early Sunday over the Java Sea. According to news reports, the AirAsia plane, an Airbus A320-200, was flying from Indonesia to Singapore and lost contact with air traffic control about 42 minutes after takeoff. No distress call was made.
Bad weather including dense storm clouds, heavy wind, and lightening was reported in the area, and an air search operation has now been suspended for the night.
According to the Associated Press:
Aircraft searching for AirAsia Flight 8501 called off the effort for the night and will resume at Monday morning, said Achmad Toha of Indonesia's search and rescue agency. Some ships were continuing the search overnight, he said.
The plane took off Sunday morning from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, and was about halfway to its destination, Singapore, when it vanished from radar.
The last communication between the pilot and air traffic control was at 6:13 a.m. (2313 GMT Saturday), when the pilot 'asked to avoid clouds by turning left and going higher to 34,000 feet (10,360 meters).' It was last seen on radar at 6:16 a.m., and a minute later was no longer there, Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation, told reporters.
Agence France-Press reports that hundreds of Indonesians descended on the Juanda International Airport near Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday hoping for news of the missing flight.
AirAsia's Chief Executive Tony Fernandes, who has flown to Surabaya, told the BBC: "We don't want to speculate but right now of course the plane has been missing for 12 hours and there's a deep sense of depression here."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
A jet carrying 162 people went missing early Sunday over the Java Sea. According to news reports, the AirAsia plane, an Airbus A320-200, was flying from Indonesia to Singapore and lost contact with air traffic control about 42 minutes after takeoff. No distress call was made.
Bad weather including dense storm clouds, heavy wind, and lightening was reported in the area, and an air search operation has now been suspended for the night.
According to the Associated Press:
Aircraft searching for AirAsia Flight 8501 called off the effort for the night and will resume at Monday morning, said Achmad Toha of Indonesia's search and rescue agency. Some ships were continuing the search overnight, he said.
The plane took off Sunday morning from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, and was about halfway to its destination, Singapore, when it vanished from radar.
The last communication between the pilot and air traffic control was at 6:13 a.m. (2313 GMT Saturday), when the pilot 'asked to avoid clouds by turning left and going higher to 34,000 feet (10,360 meters).' It was last seen on radar at 6:16 a.m., and a minute later was no longer there, Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation, told reporters.
Agence France-Press reports that hundreds of Indonesians descended on the Juanda International Airport near Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday hoping for news of the missing flight.
AirAsia's Chief Executive Tony Fernandes, who has flown to Surabaya, told the BBC: "We don't want to speculate but right now of course the plane has been missing for 12 hours and there's a deep sense of depression here."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.