AirAsia crash: Indonesia for air officials’ suspension

Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia: Indonesia on Monday ordered the suspension of aviation officials as it investigates the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501, also promising action against any domestic airlines violating their flying permits.

The crackdown came as a major search in the Java Sea entered its ninth day, struggling in bad weather to find more bodies or the “black box” flight data recorders, which are crucial to determining the cause of the disaster.

Only three more bodies were recovered on Monday, bringing the total found to 37.

Indonesia alleges that the plane was flying on an unauthorised schedule. The transport ministry has now ordered airport and air navigation managers to “suspend the personnel involved” in the activity of Flight 8501, director general of air transport Djoko Murjatmodjo told reporters.

Indonesian searchers today said they may have found what could be the tail of the crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501, the section where the crucial black boxes are located, even as calmer waters led to the recovery of three more bodies of people on board the ill-fated plane.

“We found what has a high probability of being the tail of the plane," Yayan Sofyan, the captain of an Indonesian patrol vessel, said.

However, the Indonesian searchers and rescue agency is has not yet confirmed about the discovery. Flight recorders are very crucial for solving the mystery of the crash of the Airbus 320-200 on December 28 in the Java Sea while flying from Surabaya to Singapore.