The Sriwijaya Air flight, which is said to be carrying more than 50 people on board, was en route to Pontianak in West Kalimantan province.
A Boeing 737 passenger jet has lost contact with air traffic control shortly after taking off from the Indonesian capital Jakarta, local media reported on Saturday.
The Sriwijaya Air flight, which is said to be carrying more than 50 people on board, was en route to Pontianak in West Kalimantan province.
The Indonesian airline said it is still gathering more detailed information regarding the flight before it can make any statement.
What happened
- According to tracking website Flight24, the aircraft plunged 10,000 feet in less than 60 seconds as it flew over the Java Sea, about four minutes after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
- The flight, Sriwijaya Air's SJY 182, took off from Jakarta and was scheduled to land at Pontianak in West Kalimantan region.
- Minutes after take off, the flight lost the signal and aviation authorities could not trace its whereabouts.
- The plane is a 27-year-old Boeing 737-500, according to registration details included in the tracking data.
- The aviation department, along with the disaster management teams, had launched a search operation to trace the flight.
- National search and rescue agency Basarnas said it could give no immediate comment.
- Unverified videos and images posted on Twitter claimed to show wreckage being pulled from the Java Sea.
About the airline
- Sriwijaya Air was founded in 2003 and is Indonesia's third-largest airline, with its hub at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
- Boeing 737 MAX is operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air.
- Between November 2018 and November 2019 the airline was managed by Citilink, a subsidiary of the Indoensian national flag-carrier Garduda.
- After the companies severed ties, Indonesia's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said Sriwijaya would be subject to flight inspections to ensure safety standards.
- In a leaked internal letter in September 2019, Sriwijaya Air's quality, safety and security director had recommended that the airline stopped operations until it improved safety standards, as per Jakarta Post.
A Boeing 737 MAX operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed off Jakarta in late 2018, killing all 189 passengers and crew. The plane that lost contact on Saturday is a much older model.
(With Reuters Inputs)
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