AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Update: Part of Missing Plane Found

More than a week after AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 went missing, investigators are still looking for the missing plane that crashed in the Java Sea. Although a huge part of the plane is yet to be found, search operations were able to spot part of the plane's tail, which houses the black boxes.
The recent discovery could be the key to unlocking the cause for AirAsia Flight QZ 8501's disastrous plunge.

"We have successfully obtained part of the plane that has been our target. The tail portion has been confirmed found," search and rescue agency Chief Bambang Soelistyo said.

"I am led to believe the tail section has been found. If right part of tail section then the black box should be there," AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted.

The part of the Airbus A320-200's tail is the first significant wreckage piece to be discovered by search and rescue divers. It was located 19 miles from the primary search area.

The piece, which has the black boxes, were found by unmanned underwater vehicles and search divers. Although a significant part of the plane was found, divers are still yet to recover it as it is buried in muddy waters that is 98 feet deep. It is also believed to be upside down, according to Soelistyo.

According to reports, strong currents may be the culprit as to why the rest of the plane is yet to be discovered.

The weather has made the discovery of the plane more difficult for the search and rescue teams. The winter monsoon in the area is the reason why searching for the plane's main body has become a challenging feat.

According to sources, if the disaster happened in a different season, the recovery operations would have been less challenging. The Java Sea, unlike other seas, does not have a rocky bottom. But instead, an organic material layer which moves along with a strong current.

Apart from the airbus's tail piece, other parts of the wreckage were also found. This includes a door and a few seats. Out of the 162 passengers, divers have only recovered 40 bodies at present. It is possible that most of the passengers are still inside the plane, strapped to their seats.