Search Teams Find QZ8501 Black Box

5th Jan 2015

After more than two weeks of search and retrieval operations, the teams have finally found the aircraft's flight data recorder yesterday.

The flight was heading for Singapore from Surabaya with 155 passengers and 7 crew members on board when it met its tragic end over Java Sea near the west coast of Kalimantan on the early morning of December 28.

Frantic search started immediately when it was confirmed that the flight was missing a few minutes after ground controllers lost contact with the aircraft.

The search teams from Indonesia were joined by teams from Singapore, Malaysia, United States, India, China, Australia, South Korea, and Japan as the search progresses. Dozens of vessels and aircraft are currently involved in the search and retrieval operations.

It was only yesterday, January 12, when the teams were able to locate the exact location of the main wreck and the black box. The bad weather condition and the strong undersea current made it difficult for divers to find the black box much sooner.

The black box is the plane's flight data recorder. Its retrieval is very important as it will provide a clue to help authorities on their investigation of the incident.

To alleviate their grief and as a form of consolation, the families of the victims were offered by Armed Forces commander, Gen. Moeldoko, to fly to the site in Karimata Strait to offer flowers to their loved ones.

Gen. Moeldoko assured them that they will try their best to identify the retrieved remains regardless of their condition. He disclosed that there are currently 260 local and international medical doctors who volunteer to help identify the bodies.