A second Malaysian airliner mysteriously vanished in the skies over Southeast Asia’s “Devil’s Sea’’ after a controller refused the captain’s request for a change of course and altitude, according to a report.
AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 was carrying 162 passengers and crew when it went missing Sunday morning.
The captain, named Iriyanto, was flying into heavy clouds in an area plagued by violent storms when he asked for permission to turn left and climb from 32,000 to 34,000 feet, The Times of London reported.
The controller then made what might have been a disastrous mistake: He told the captain the changes “could not be approved at that time due to traffic. There was a flight above, and five minutes later, [Flight QZ 8501] disappeared from radar,” according to the newspaper.
The doomed Airbus A320, traveling from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore, had been 46 minutes into its three-hour flight. No Americans were believed to be aboard.
The search for the jet resumed with first light Monday, at about 6 p.m. New York time.
Based on radar data, the plane was likely “at the bottom of the sea,” Indonesian officials said.
The Devil’s Sea, also known as the Dragon’s Triangle or the Pacific Bermuda Triangle, has been the last known location of many missing vessels.
Taking part in the search were 12 Indonesian navy ships, five planes, three helicopters and a number of warships, along with ships and planes from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.
The commander of the search said visibility was good, adding, “God willing, we can find it soon.”
AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said, “We have no idea at the moment what went wrong,” and described the incident as “my worst nightmare.’’
The disaster occurred just months after the baffling March disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which was en route from Malaysia to Beijing. That flight last made voice contact with controllers over the South China Sea and disappeared from radar screens minutes later.
In another Malaysia Airlines tragedy, a plane was shot down over Ukraine in July, apparently by pro-Russia separatists.
The latest disappearance came over the holidays, when many Indonesians visit Singapore.
“Indonesian authorities are doing their best now for search and rescue,” Fernandes said. “It’s best not to speculate. Our first priority is to look after the families.”
One family scheduled to board the plane escaped tragedy when they missed an email saying it would take off earlier than scheduled, according to the Jakarta Star.
Ari Putro Cahyono and nine relatives arrived at the airport 10 minutes after the flight had departed, the report said.
“Me and my family then decided to cancel the trip,” he said.
Dozens of relatives waited desperately at Surabaya Airport for news of their loved ones.
A man named Dimas said his 30-year-old wife was flying to Singapore, and he was clinging to hope that the missing plane had made an emergency landing somewhere.
“We can just pray and hope that all those aboard are safe,” Dimas said.
With Post Wire Services