A search vessel from Jakarta has been sent to the plane’s last known location in the Java Sea, said Indonesian authorities.
After the Boeing 737 lost contact with air traffic control in the capital Jakarta, an Indonesian Sriwijaya Air plane is feared to have crashed into the sea, with flight tracking data showing the jet plunged into a steep dive just four minutes after take-off.
A search vessel from Jakarta has been sent to the plane’s last known location in the Java Sea, said Indonesian authorities. Local TV reported that first responders were also deployed to the site to aid potential survivors. According to the reports by local media, flight SJ182 had 56 passengers on board, including seven children and three infants, along with two pilots and four cabin crew.
Boeing spokeswoman Zoe Leong said in a statement: “We are aware of media reports from Jakarta, and are closely monitoring the situation. “We are working to gather more information.” Sriwijaya Air said it’s working to obtain more detailed information about the flight and will release an official statement later.
According to a video shown by local news channel MetroTV, fishermen in the Thousand Islands regency found debris and oil spill in the water, with no confirmation of whether they’re from the missing plane.
According to Bloomberg Quint, Sriwijaya Air was established in November 2003. Its fleet is comprised of Boeing 737 family and ATR 72-600 jets. While the company primarily serves domestic routes it does fly internationally to Penang, Malaysia and Dili, East Timor.
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