KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — A screenshot of radar data from Jakarta air traffic control (ATC) allegedly showing the missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501’s last position has been leaked on the Internet.
According to the leaked data, QZ8501’s last altitude was 36,300 feet, over 4,000 feet higher than what was thought to be its original altitude before it requested a route deviation and went missing.
“#QZ8501 seen by Pontianak Rdr passing Fl363 w 353kts grnd speed, tracking west. Brg 141° frm RAFIS at 52.9NM,” said a tweet by Jakarta-based independent aviation expert Gerry Soejatman, who was among those who circulated the screenshot on his Twitter account @GerryS.
Gerry explained in a separate tweet that QZ8501 was seen by the Pontianak ATC as moving at ground speed of 353 knots, which translated to an air speed of 187 knots.
AirAsia QZ8501 was at 32,000 feet when the pilots requested to fly higher at 38,000 feet to avoid clouds, according to Indonesia’s acting Air Transport Director Djoko Murjatmodjo on Sunday.
A screencap of Jakarta-based independent aviation expert Gerry Soejatman's tweet.The ATC did not approve the request before the plane disappeared off radar, National Transportation Safety Committee head Tatang Kurniadi added.IN THE GALLERY
Family members of passengers on board missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 pray at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Indonesia, December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
A family member of passengers on board missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 prays at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Indonesia, December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
Family members of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 stand near Indonesia's map in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
Indonesian army soldiers sit near a map of Belitung island while monitoring search operations for AirAsia flight QZ8501 at Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta, December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
Pilot of Indonesian Navy airplane CN235 M. Naim holds a map to co-pilot Rahmad while flying over the Java sea during joint search operations of AirAsia flight QZ8501 December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
Indonesian Navy soldiers check a helicopter on the deck of KRI Sultan Hasanuddin-366 warship before joining in search operations for AirAsia flight QZ8501 at Batuampar port in Batam, December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
Indonesian Navy soldiers prepare food at KRI Sultan Hasanuddin-366 warship before joining search operations for AirAsia flight QZ8501 at Batuampar port in Batam, December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
Relatives of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 pray together in a waiting area at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya December 30, 2014. — Reuters pic
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Indonesian news site Kompas reported yesterday that the ATC had meant to allow QZ8501 to only elevate to 34,000 feet, but could not relay the information before contact was lost.
Indonesia AirAsia’s Flight QZ8501 disappeared from Jakarta’s radar at 6.18am local time Sunday amid stormy weather en route to Singapore from Surabaya.
On board the Airbus A320 jet were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, one Malaysian, one Singaporean, one Frenchman and one Briton, comprising 155 passengers and seven crew members.
The plane’s last known position was between the Indonesian port of Tanjung Pandan and the town of Pontianak in West Kalimantan on Borneo Island.
