Sriwijaya Air Crash: What We Know
Sriwijaya Air flight SJ 182, scheduled to fly from Jakarta to Pontianak, crashed into the Java Sea minutes after takeoff, plunging over 10,000ft (3000m) in less than one minute. The last contact with the aircraft was at 2:40 PM on Saturday. All passengers are presumed dead as search and rescue operations have failed to find survivors.
50 passengers, including 10 children and 12 crew members, were on board. According to officials, all on board the flight were Indonesian.
What We Know So Far
The aircraft was a 26-year-old Boeing 737–500. This model is different to the Boeing 737 Max involved in the two fatal crashes of 2018 and 2019. Sriwijaya Air executives have said the plane was in good condition when it took off.
Indonesian officials have launched a 24-hour search operation with over 2,600 personnel involved. Navy divers have been recovering bodies, passengers’ belongings and wreckage from the crash site.
Black Boxes
An Indonesian search team found the flight data recorder, which is one of the aircraft’s two black boxes on Tuesday night. This recorder logs information from the plane’s sensors as well as any inputs from the pilots.
Although officials have said that they have located the region where the second black box is located, search teams have yet to find the cockpit voice recorder.
What We Don’t Know
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined. The black boxes are key to the investigations as their information is likely to provide an explanation of the crash. However, this process could stretch out for months.
Meanwhile, the search operation will continue to recover bodies, belongings and wreckage from the crash site.
Note: All information accurate as of January 14, 2021.
Written by Ian Teo
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