AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed in the Java Sea on Sunday, thirty bodies have since then been recovered.
AirAsia Flight 8501 remains unfound as search teams continue the arduous task of fighting 13-foot waves in the Java Sea. On Sunday, Flight 8501 went down with 162 passengers and crew. A majority of the passengers were Indonesian, but British, South Korean, French, Malaysian, and Singaporean citizens were onboard the plane. Officials reported on Friday that the efforts of various search crews have yielded the recovery of 30 bodies from the flight. 21 of the bodies were found on Friday alone, and five of them were found still strapped to their seats.
CNN reports that ships, planes, and helicopters are scouring a 1,575 square nautical mile area where the plane and its remains are most likely located. A U.S. Navy ship called the USS Sampson is assisting in the search; Singapore and Indonesia are contributing significant resources to finding the plane and passengers. Officials state that the bad weather is the most significant hindrance to the search.
Though many crucial details as to the cause of the crash remain unknown, a few details leading up to the plane's disappearance are certain. The plane was heading from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore when the pilot of the flight requested air traffic control to turn left and climb to a higher altitude about half an hour into the flight; Iriyanto, the pilot of the craft, wanted to avoid the bad weather. The plane disappeared moments after the request was made, but no distress call was received.
Some experts believe that the plane may have crashed due to bad weather conditions. Others believe that the plane stalled midflight because of insufficient velocity, or an excessive incline attempt.
There are many speculated causes for the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501, but until key components of the aircraft are recovered, key details of the flight will remain unknown. Devices such as the black box contain details of the flight that would explain the events leading up to the crash. The main body of the plane is undiscovered, though officials stated that sonar has given them an idea of the location of the plane; however, the harsh weather conditions prevent the search teams from extensively investigating the site.
