News Live Air Asia Flight QZ8501 Day's 8

Singapore___  Search and recovery for AirAsia flight QZ8501 continues today (Jan 3). Inclement weather has so far posed challenges to recovery efforts.

The flight carrying 162 people from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with air traffic control on Dec 28. The plane was due to arrive in Singapore at 8.30am. Stay tuned for live updates. 

For earlier posts on the search for QZ8501,

Refresh this page for updates. All timings are in Singapore time.

Jan 4:

11pm:  Here's a round up of the search and rescue efforts from today (Jan 4)

- A total of 34 bodies have been recovered so far
- Five large underwater object believed to be part of plane detected
- Diving operations suspended due to bad weather
- No "pings" detected from black box
- Indonesian meteorological bureau says weather was "worrying" on day of crash

8.30pm: BASARNAS chiefs is holding a press conference. Here are the key points:

- Debris found indicates body of plane broken. All efforts will be focused on finding the tail where the Black Box is located. 

- Black box of QZ8501 should not be far from where 5 big objects were spotted

- Bad weather hampered search efforts today. Better weather is expected tomorrow. 

7pm: Search and rescue personnel at Pangkalan Bun airport carry away aircraft debris delivered by the Republic of Singapore Air Force Super Puma. 

6.30pm: A Republic of Singapore Air Force Super Puma helicopter lands in Pangkalan Bun, delivering one body and two bags of debris. The body and debris were found by Singapore naval vessel RSS Persistence.

5.45pm: VIDEO: 3 more bodies were recovered this afternoon and were brought in by a US Navy helicopter. Here rescue personnel collect the bodies from the helicopter. 

4pm: Three more bodies have been identified as Indonesians according to authorities, namely:

- AirAsia flight attendant Wismoyo Ari Prambudi (24 years old)
- Jie Stevie Gunawan (10 years old)
- Juanita Limantara (30 years old).

The body count now stands at 34. The press conference took place at the crisis centre in Surabaya.

3.15pm: Here's a look on board the Russian Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft, which is part of a multi-national task force of ships, planes and helicopters to recover the bodies of victims and locate the wreck of the passenger plane.

Divers, including members of the Russian contingent were sent to investigate the debris early on Sunday, but diving had since been suspended due to bad weather. The total bodies recovered now stands at 31. 

2.31pm: From our reporter on board the MV Swift Rescue: The vessel commenced search in a new sector today as of 2.45am, after completing its last search sector. Visibility in the new sector is about 1 nautical mile and the sea state and weather remains unfavourable for underwater search operation.

1.59pm: Our reporter on the ground takes a photo of items, believed to be from the wreckage of AirAsia flight QZ8501. The handover of items between the RSS Valour and the MV Swift Rescue took place at 1.15am (Singapore time) today. The items include an adult life jacket and 3 personal items, and will be handed to Indonesian authorities. The RSS Valour will be heading back to Singapore.

12.30pm: Press conference with rescue agency, BASARNAS, begins. Highlights:

- Part of search and rescue operation has moved east for a more specific operation
- 2 divers sent down this morning were brought back up due to poor visibility, safety concerns; current at 2-5 knots.
- 9 vessels currently at area where 4 objects were found; Indonesia (3), US (2), Malaysia (2) and Singapore (2).
- Finding of black box is not rescue agency’s responsibilty; merely assisting investigation team with their vessel.
- Only one more body found can be confirmed but three more bodies awaiting evacuation.

12.20pm: One body recovered by Singapore’s RSS Persistence vessel, to be evacuated by a Super Puma helicopter, reports Channel NewsAsia.

12.06pm: 3 bodies spotted; not far from each other, says pilot of search aircraft speaking to MetroTV

11.08am: About 90 divers from Indonesia and Russia deployed to recover more bodies.

9.24am: Indonesia's KRI Usman Harun, a subject of controversy between Singapore and Indonesia, has set out for search and rescue operations today, reports local media.

8.00am: Units out at sea for search and rescue operations today

Indonesia
17 helicopters
10 aircrafts
57 ships

Malaysia
1 aircraft
3 ships

Singapore
2 helicopters
2 aircrafts
5 ships

South Korea
1 aircraft

USA
2 helicopters
2 ships

Russia
2 aircrafts

Source: MetroTV

7.50am: Map showing new sectors for search & allocation of assets in day 8. Singapore's RSS Supreme is assigned to "Most Probable Area" sector while the RSS Persistence & MV Swift Rescue at "Underwater Search Area".

Jan 3: 

10pm: Here's a round up of the search and rescue efforts from today (Jan 3): 

- Remote underwater vehicles were unable to get images of objects
- Indonesia suspends airline's Surabaya-Singapore licence
- Airline's other flight schedules are now under scrutiny
- Meteorological bureau says weather a factor in crash
- Black box flight recorders not yet found

9.02pm: Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces tweets an update.

8.59pm: Four large objects have been located in the Java Sea by search and rescue teams.

8.36pm: RSS Valour is making her way back to Singapore, after being deployed for about a week, according to the Republic of Singapore Navy. 

Five RSN ships have been deployed for the search operation - a frigate RSS Supreme, missile corvette RSS Valour and landing ship tank RSS Persistence for surface search, a mine countermeasure vessel RSS Kallang, MV Swift Rescue, as well as an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) team to conduct underwater search.

8pm: Air Asia has released a statement. Here are the key points: 

- The search process is still underway with the Russian SAR team joining the mission, strengthening the operation led by BASARNAS. 

- To date, Disaster Victim Identification Police Department of Republic of Indonesia (DVI POLRI) has identified a total of six passengers while the 24 remaining bodies are still being identified. DVI POLRI also confirms that the remains identification process will be supported by DVI experts from Singapore and South Korea.

- Weather in the SAR area for tomorrow (Jan 4) is forecast to be much better with waves likely to decrease and remain at 2-3m. 

7pm: Air Asia Indonesia had approval to run daily flights from Surabaya to Singapore, even though the airline had flown on Sundays without authorisation from Indonesian authorities, CAAS and Changi Airport Group confirm.

5pm: A Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team comprising six officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and two forensic experts from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) departed today for Surabaya to assist Indonesia in identifying victims of the crash, according to Home Team News. 

4.46pm: A Russian amphibious plane has landed in Pangkalan Bun to assist in search and rescue operations. 

4.45pm: Two more passengers - Hendra Gunawan Syawal (male) and The Meiji Thejakusuma (female) - have been identified by the Disaster Victim Identification Police Department of Republic of Indonesia (DVI POLRI).

4.10pm: LIVE update from the search area: US naval vessel USS Sampson is seen here together with its search helicopter, spotted near the operating area of MV Swift Rescue in the southern coast of Borneo, Jan 3 2015.

4.02pm: LIVE update from the search area: (L-R) Underwater Telephony Specialists ME3 Eric Chua, 38 and ME3 Marcus Chua, 37, are hoping to receive signals emitted from the black box of the missing AirAsia aircraft in the Underwater Telephony Operation Room on board the MV Swift Rescue. Together with a team, they have been working around the clock over the past 3 days in designated search areas in the southern coast of Borneo, Jan 3 2015.

4pm:  Evacuation efforts have sped up thanks to fair weather on the seas. There are now 60 ships taking part in the search efforts. As of 2pm, a total of 30 bodies have been recovered and flown to Surabaya for identification. 

3pm: 12 bodies flown from Pangkalan Bun to Surabaya have arrived and are taken to hospital for identification.

1.25pm: 12 bodies, 9 male and 3 female, flown to Surabaya.

11.49am:  7 more bodies have arrived via helicopter at Pangkalan Bun from an Indonesian search ship. One more body being evacuated from a Malaysian ship.

10.40am: Disaster victim investigation unit have received 161 ante mortem DNA samples while 138 DNA samples submitted from family members for identification.

10.28am: Rescue chief says 2 huge objects found by detection ships beside each other, 30 metres underwater.

10:00am:  18 bodies already at Surabaya hospital, 12 more on the way: Indonesia navy commander.

8.50am: Sea in search area still rough with waves reaching a height of 4 metres. Visibility 8 nautical miles, wind speed 20 - 30 knots, says Malaysia's chief of navy.

8.30am: Underwater search area with dimension of 57x10 nautical miles established. Five ships are tasked, says Malaysia's chief of navy.

8.20am: Today’s operation will include focus on finding main aircraft body and location of black box, reports MetroTV, citing rescue agency officials.

7.45am: The search and rescue mission continues at daybreak.

Jan 2:

7.26pm: Press conference from BASARNAS now underway. Key points:

- 30 bodies recovered, confirmed BASARNAS. 8 bodies are already in Surabaya, 10 are en route, 4 are in Pangkalan Bun, 7 are on board Indonesian navy vessel KRI Bung Tomo and 1 is on board Malaysian navy ship KD Pahang.

- An Indonesian ocean going tugboat will be entering the search area tonight.

- Fuel tankers are also heading to the search area to help refuel operational ships.

- Waves reached up to 5m today, making operations difficult.

6.40pm: The tail of QZ8501 has been sighted, according to the Commander of Indonesia's navy ship KRI Bung Tomo to Metro TV.

6.21pm: A Korean P-3 Orion has spotted 3 bodies still strapped to a row of seats, as well as 3 other bodies at 3 different locations, reports Detik.

6.06pm: 5th Singapore navy vessel RSS Kallang arrives at search area. To date, Singapore has contributed more than 400 SAF personnel, two C-130 aircraft, two Super Puma helicopters, five navy ships and a 6-man Autonomous Underwater Vehicle team to aid the search.

6.00pm: Singapore naval vessel RSS Supreme today recovered what is believed to be a window panel of the AirAsia jet. 

4.55pm: AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes to fly body of stewardess Khairunisa Haidar home.

4.39pm: Two Russian planes with 72 rescue personnel on board have arrived in Indonesia to assist the search, reports RT.com. The Russian planes are reportedly carrying sonars, diving equipment and drones to search the area where there may be a missing plane.

4.24pm: 

A Basarnas rescue ship, KN SAR 224, docked at Pangkalan Bun's Kumai port this afternoon after searching the waters 80 to 100 nautical miles from the Kalimantan coast. However, the ship did not find any new bodies today.
Captain Ahmad, who commands the ship, said waves are still high, at 3m to 4m, but visibility is now clear.
His message to families of crash victims hoping to see the bodies of their loved ones again: "We will be searching and searching, until we find it."

3.40pm: Three more bodies identified by the police as Grayson Herbert Linaksita, Kevin Soetjipto, and stewardess Khairunnisa Haidar.

3.00pm: RSS Valour recovers luggage bag at search site. Item has been delivered to Indonesian authorities, says Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

2.25pm: Four more bodies have arrived at Pangkala Bun. Photo: Channel NewsAsia

12.39pm: Captain Rangga Mahardhika, a chief engineer on board one of the marine police boats, said that high waves, cloudy skies and muddy coastal waters complicate the search. His ship uses sonar to detect submerged debris and bodies. Upon finding a suepect body or plane part, divers will be deployed to retrieve them.

11.30am: An international team armed with acoustic equipment - comprising personel from Singapore, Malaysia, the U.S. and France - have arrived to bolster the search for the plane's black box flight recorders.

9.52am: Two more bodies and some debris have arrived at Pangkala Bun airport via helicopter. 16 bodies have been found thus far, with 10 already brought to land, reports Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency.

9.42am: Another seven bodies are said to be found: 1 by Malaysian navy, 6 by the US.

9.30am: The search zone has moved 30 nautical miles from yesterday. An area covering 1,575 nautical miles was established by the Malaysian navy chief as the "most probably area" where wreckage will be found.