LION AIR JT 610 CRASH RENEWS AVIATION SAFETY CONCERN by Fardah

  Jakarta, Nov 3, 2018 (Antara) - Indonesia, which was still grieving the devastation caused by powerful earthquakes and tsunami in Lombok and Palu, was once again shocked by the crash of a Lion Air flight JT 610 plane on Oct 29, 2018, which claimed all 189 people aboard.

         The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but the Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft that plunged into Tanjung Karawang waters in West Java Province, after some 15 minutes taking off from Jakarta en route to Tanjung Pinang, Bangka Belitung, was relatively new.

         The ill-fated aircraft joined the Lion Air fleet in August 2018 and had 800 hours of flight time, according to National Committee of Transportation Safety (KNKT) Head Soerjanto Tjahjono.

         Corporate Communication Strategic Officer of Lion Air, Danang Mandala, remarked that the crashed Boeing 737 Max 8 plane was airworthy and had been operated by the airlines since Aug 15, 2018.

         The aircraft departed from Jakarta at 6:20 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive in Pangkalpinang at 7:05 a.m. local time, according to the Depati Amir Airport authority in Pangkalpinang.

         Before it lost contact, the aircraft had sought permission to return to Jakarta due to a problem.

         The aircraft carried 178 adult passengers, including an Italian national; three infants; six crew members; as well as an Indian pilot and an Indonesian co-pilot. 
    Among the passengers were tens of civil servants including 20 officers of the Finance Ministry, six legislators of Bangka Belitung, and three police officers.
    Few hours after the accident, the plane's wreckage and several body parts were found floating in the sea not far from Jakarta.

         The same aircraft, while serving Denpasar-Jakarta flight the previous day (Oct 28), had encountered a technical problem, which was later reportedly resolved.

SEARCH FOR AIRASIA'S VICTIMS OFFICIALLY CEASED By Fardah

Jakarta, March 4, 2015 (Antara) -- The large-scale search and rescue operation to find the bodies of the remaining 59 victims of the AirAsia Q8501 crash was officially ceased on March 3.

         Massive search efforts that were carried out for more than two months successfully recovered 103 bodies of the total 162 victims.

         "The victims' relatives and I agreed to officially end the search and rescue operation at 1:45 p.m. local time today," Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Vice Marshal F.H.B. Soelistyo said in Surabaya, East Java, on March 3, 2015.

         He made the announcement after conducting a closed-door meeting with relatives of the ill-fated Malaysian plane's victims.

         However, they also agreed that Basarnas will conduct additional operations for seven days, starting March 9.