Philippines’ P-3 Orion Surveillance Planes Finds AirAsia QZ 8501 Wreckage

01/01/2015 – Manila | Teams searching for the missing AirAsia flight QZ 8501 have found more than 40 bodies. This is after one of three Philippine P-3Orion Surveillance planes spotted debris yesterday morning in the Java Sea southwest of Borneo. AirAsia officials have now confirmed that the bodies and debris “is indeed from QZ8501,” the plane flight that lost contact with air-traffic control on the morning of December 28, 2014.

Following the report of the incident on 29, President Benigno Aquino III instructed the Philippine Navy to send 3 ships and 3 P-3 Orion planes to join the search and rescue operation in the Java Sea.

The Airbus A320-200 was carrying 160 people from Subaraya to Singapore when it disappeared Sunday morning. So far, only 3 bodies have been pulled-out from the sea while searchers are still looking for more bodies. The possibility of survivors is zero, according to search officials.

Aerial images also show large shadows undersea which are believed to be some big parts of the missing plane. Some experts believe that the plane was shredded mid-air before it went down.

The search and rescue operation headed by Indonesian Navy is joined by Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Philippines.

The Philippine’s P-3 Orion planes are the latest acquisition from United States – an all-purpose surveillance plane that can also be use as bombers.

In separate but related news, another AirAsia plane overshot runway at Kalibo International Airport in Kalibo, Aklan, on Tuesday, December 30. The plane was carrying 159 passengers from Manila, with all of them declared safe after rescuers pulled everyone from the stuck plane.

Kalibo International Airport is a busy Airport in Western Visayas and is the main gateway to Boracay – a popular tourist destination in Philippines. The incident was partly blamed to bad weather and strong winds due to typhoon Seniang which already killed 31 people.

See Also: Traffic Problem Solved: PNR Plans to Connect 922kms Cagayan-Bicol Route

/Fanny Jalacjac/ Assisted Press Manila

Comments

comments