By John Bacon, USA TODAY
A search vessel may have located the section of doomed AirAsia Flight 8501 that contains the black box voice and data recorders, authorities said Monday.
National Search and Rescue Agency personnel carry the seats of AirAsia Flight 8501 after being airlifted by a U.S. Navy helicopter that belongs to USS Sampson in Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia, Monday. (Photo: Tatan Syuflana, AP)
“We found what has a high probability of being the tail of the plane,” Yayan Sofyan, commander of Indonesian Navy ship KRI Bung Tomo, said at a news conference. He said the tail should contain the black boxes — the flight data and voice recorders. His vessel was able to recover other debris that was handed over to authorities, he said.
Indonesian authorities did not immediately confirm the discovery. “I am not saying it’s the tail yet,” said Bambang Soelistyo, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency. “That is suspected. Now we are trying to confirm it.”
Rainy, foggy weather has hamstrung search efforts for the wreckage of the Airbus A320-200, which plunged into the murky waters of the Java Sea on Dec. 28 with 162 people on board.
So far 37 bodies have been recovered. Sonar has detected what appears to be several large pieces of the plane in the water. None had been found by divers, whose efforts have been constantly delayed by the weather.
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