Missing AirAsia Plane Likely at Bottom of Sea

Indonesian rescue authorities said on Monday that the missing AirAsia plane is most likely at the bottom of the sea as the search to locate Indonesia flight QZ8501 carrying 162 passengers continues in a wider area.

The Airbus A320-200 was travelling from Surabaya, eastern Java on Sunday to Singapore. The pilot made contact to change position due to turbulence but Indonesian airport officials said the request could not be immediately approved due to traffic. In the meantime, the plane disappeared from the radar screens.

BBC News reported that Indonesian officials believe the plane is likely to be at the bottom of the sea.

According to an oceanographer who spoke to the BBC, the plane should not be too difficult to find if it went into the water as the sea floor is within diver depth.

Founded in 2001, AirAsia is a low-cost airline group based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, operating some 100 destinations in 15 countries.