To say this has been a bad year for Malaysia would be an understatement. Now air traffic control has lost contact with an AsiaAsia plane from Surabaya to Singapore with over 160 passengers on board.
Contact was lost here:
“The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to enroute weather before communication with the aircraft was lost (at 7.24am) while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC),” said AirAsia in a statement.
The plane, an Airbus A320-216 delivered in 2008, registration PK-AXC, was believed to be flying at 32000 feet above sea level. An Indonesian air transport director was reported to have said the plane asked to increase altitude to 38000 feet from 32000 feet to “avoid clouds”.
The flight, QZ8501, had taken off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 5.35am and was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 8.30am.
Singapore air traffic control was informed at 7.54am and crisis management centres in Singpore were activated.
The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November 2014. The captain of the flight, Iriyanto, had clocked 6100 flying hours while first officer Remi Emmanuel Plesel had put in 2275 hours
The Indonesian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is guiding search and rescue operations with the cooperation of AirAsia Indonesia. The Singapore Rescue Coordination Centre has offered help.
The passenger manifest can be found here.
This incident today comes after two major aircraft incidents (MH370 and MH17) earlier this year.
It comes at a time when bodies are showing up in Penang and tens of thousands have been displaced by massive floods in the East Coast and elsewhere. The floods have forced the hudud vote in Kelantan, originally scheduled for tomorrow, to be shelved.
The Federal Court decision on the Allah controversy caused a fissure, which has not yet been resolved, while confiscated Malay-language Bibles were finally returned without an apology. Groups such as Perkasa and Isma spew out their right-wing ethno-religious rhetoric while national leaders remain largely silent.
Meanwhile, 1MDB bleeds red ink, commodity prices have plunged, falling oil prices have hurt the fiscal balance, and the KLSE index has plummeted. Even national badminton hero Lee Chong Wei was not spared a dramatic fall after failing a substance test.
But not everything has fallen. The cost of living has soared even before GST, hurting many Malaysians. Household debt and government federal debt have similarly risen.
Rampant corruption and cronyism continues unabated while the Sedition Act has been used to slam down hard on opposition politicians, student leaders and other critics.
There’s not a whole lot of positive energy over this land at this time. A lot of suffering, despair and darkness instead.
If you believe in God or a transcendental power, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to say a prayer for Malaysia and all the victims of these disasters now. Ask for light, hope, justice and peace to fill our land.
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Conspiracies abound: http://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/2qneik/someone_in_china_warned_of_a_airaisa_disaster_13/
Some “Black Hand” organisation out to destroy Malaysia’s air industry…?! …
Conspiracies abound: http://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/2qneik/someone_in_china_warned_of_a_airaisa_disaster_13/
Some “Black Hand” organisation out to destroy Malaysia’s air industry …?!
http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2014/dec/30/missing-airasia-flight-qz8501-china-and-france-join-expanded-search
It seems they found what they searched for
I wonder that when the US can detect Voyager 1 & 2 more than 20 billions kilometres out there in interstellar space, they still could not detect MH370 in the Indian Ocean.
I am in Singapore monitoring the situation. Singapore’s airport authority is handling this situation very well and so are the Indonesian leaders and officials are giving transparent and concise reports. Thumbs up to both groups, superior to what we have been seeing in Malaysia for the 2 ill-fated MAS flights earlier this year. Singapore sent out planes and ships within a couple of hours of the plane going missing. Well done,Singapore!
In the past 10 hours Singapore has deployed more than 6 advanced surface ships and an undisclosed number of submarines to search for the missing plane. They also had 2 C-130 planes searching since yesterday morning. Very efficient and professional operation.
Two Singapore stealth ships have silently reached area. Submarines presumably already there. Fishermen heard unexplained loud explosions on or near Pulau Nangka. What is strange is that Indonesia has a military base on Bangka Belitung which is close by and they detected nothing?
Awang : I have never believed in God. Even Stephen Hawking who at such a stage of disability never believed in one and has never ever blamed God for his disability. Its people like you that is using God to achieve their own end. Look around this past year and see who is using God for their own end. Your comment is proof enough. From your past and current post, you are more like a double headed … Previously you supported PAS and hudud, now you don`t. I wonder whether there are 2 Awang around.
It is like everywhere in the whole world…create fear to control. Religion is man made to control and create fear. Jesus was not a christian … Wars are created to suppress people, men are destroyers and creators God, the Source, the beloved, Allah, Buddha, Life…however you want to called it It is the Light, the flame, the temple inside each of us…..the answer is L To open eyes and hearts to awake and see what is Real….. The world is ruled by 1%, We are with 99%…….65% is asleep and controlled by religion and fears, the believe the lies which… Read more »
The Gods are angry with bungling politicians and big mouthed extremists and extremists organizations! God gave us a land where you get almost everything, but, because of a few who screwed up everything to their favour and own interests, GOD is showing its anger. First and foremost, silent and moderate Malaysia MUST now stand up and SPEAK up, we must unite as one and tell those few big mouths who unfortunately have the media with them who are wreaking havoc to the unity of the people of Malaysia. GOD forbids anyone to use its name for their own political interests.… Read more »
Awang ; GOD has no human representatives to interact and enforce laws (from another era) to humans!
Is not Muhammad the messenger or the one that interact for God to human. The more you talk, you keep getting out of line. I wonder whether you are the actual Awang that has posted before.
Dei, had you kept quiet no one would know you are so stupid! Prophet Muhammad is human? Don’t understand please do not intrude into peoples comment please, Yang bodoh! I don’t mean to offend you but you admitted to be Yang tak berapa bijak which means Yang Bodoh!
Awang : GOD has no human representatives to interact and enforce laws (from another era) to humans! The above is what you wrote. Are you so senile or ……. ( no I wouldn`t want to said that word) as not to understand what you wrote. What does that mean. Everybody know Muhmamad is human and is not Muhammad one of the human representative to interact as God Messenger and bring his law to human … One thing is Muhamad does not regard Jesus as God but as one of the messenger …. I am an atheist and I think know… Read more »
Stupid people trying to showcase their stupidity on the subject of God in times of crisis.
Wow some new guy or any old guy seem to be smarter than the others. Wonder whether believing in God is stupid or not especially in time of crisis.
Anil,G.K Ong both of you are spot on: 2014 has been most DEPRESSING.
So fellow Malaysians lets be united in seeking the assistance of Divine intervention for a less problematic 2015. But just surrendering to the Good Lord whilst not practising the good values and ethics espoused by all faiths will not serve the purpose.Being fundamentalist in our approach to everything
is not in tandem with the spirit of 1Malaysia/Bangsa Malaysia. Let us endeavour to return to the harmonious era of of 1957-1967 when Malaysians were colour and race blind.
HIDUP MALAYSIA.
Ananars
Wanna blame the opposition for this?
Anil
Agree anil
Horrible year for msia
This must be record of sort for a country to lose 3 planes in one year
prayers for malaysia and the victims
May 2015 be a better for all msians
Indonesia AirAsia is 49 per cent owned by AirAsia.
Abb ; In fact I was going to ask whether the opposition wanna blame BN for this just like MH 17 & 370 but refrained from doing so due to so much calamities around. What can I say of you beside your uncaring and pathetic attitudes during these trying times.
Only in Malaysia. 2014 is a year of 3 aviation disasters in 6 months. It is also the year of massive flooding in 9 states. It is of no coincidence that we also see the rises of evil extremists groups like Perkasa and Isma whom under the disguise of Islam, bullied and trashed the non-Muslims, while being protected by the BN regime. The seizure of Malay Bibles, the ban of ALLAH word for the non-Muslims, and the Hudud issue in Kelantan all take precedence over corruption, cronyism, nepotism. The persecution of the opposition politicians and student leaders with the Sedition… Read more »
A good comment I saw on internet:
The heroic efforts demonstrated by Tony Fernandes and AirAsia staff in the time of crisis is highly commendable. The Malaysian government servants – including the PM, the past and current Transport Ministers can certainly learn such exemplary professionalism and care in the event of an emergency, crisis situation or disaster.
I woke up at noon after late nite post-Xmas booze with some hangover to hear this unfortunate news. Wonder how the concept of God can explain the recent afflictions on Malaysia, although this plane is Air Asia Indonesia, but still Malaysian-owned.
2014 has not been a good year for Malaysia.