Basarnas Coordinates Search For Missing AirAsia

Jakarta, Dec 29 (Antara) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has coordinated with the Search and Rescue Agency (SAR) personnel in Pangkalpinang, Jambi, Tanjungpinang, Palembang, Pontianak, Banjarmasin and Lampung to look for AirAsia AWQ 8501 flight from Indonesia to Singapore which is missing. "At 7:30 a.m local time, IDMCC of the Basarnas received report of the AirAsia Airbus 320 flight from Surabaya to Singapore reportedly missing around the Gulf of Kumai at 6:17 a.m local time," according to a press statement of the Basarnas on Sunday. According to an air traffic control officer of Soekarno Hatta Airport, the last coordinates of the contact plane at 03:09:15 location southern latitude and 111.28.21 eastern longitude. The plane was supposed to enter the airspace of Singapore at 6:52 a.m local time. Meanwhile, Corporate Secretary of Angkasa Pura I airport management company Farid Indra Nugraha when being contacted in Gresik, on Sunday confirmed the plane has lost contact "Yes, that is right AirAsia plane has lost contact," he said. He said the aircraft was estimated to be lost eight minutes after takeoff. Based on the data transmitted AP I, aircraft was piloted by Captain Iriyanto and First Officer (FO) Remi Emmanuel Plesel, and crew members consisting of Wanti Setiawati, Khairunnisa Haidar Fauzi, Oscar Desano, Wismoyo Ari Prambudi and technician Saiful Rakhmad. The aircraft took off at 5:20 am local time and was scheduled to land at 8:30 a.m Singapore`s time.