10 questions about the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 tragedy

The discovery of debris from AirAsia Flight QZ8501 means investigators have taken a big step toward answering the questions haunting the families of those aboard the doomed plane. What are the key questions, and what might come next?

What caused the plane to crash?

It’s the million-dollar question. And as yet, nobody knows. Ahead lies a possibly months-long investigation into what happened after the Airbus A320-200 lost contact with air traffic control early Sunday.

Shortly beforehand, the pilot requested permission to turn and climb to a higher altitude because of bad weather, according to Indonesian officials.

Some experts have said the aircraft might have experienced an aerodynamic stall because of a lack of speed or from flying at too sharp an angle to get enough lift.

Analysts have also said that the pilots might not have been getting information from onboard systems about the plane’s position or that rain or hail from thunderstorms in the area could have damaged the engines.

The key to understanding what happened is likely to be contained in the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, commonly known as black boxes.

“Until we get the black boxes, we won’t know what’s going on with the engines,” Bill Savage, a former pilot with 30 years of experience, told CNN.

It’s also important to protect families amid the media frenzy, she said, particularly when distressing scenes are broadcast — for example, of bodies being brought up.

Hersman also pointed to the impact of the news of the AirAsia crash on the relatives of those lost in other air disasters, such as the mysterious disappearance of Flight 370 in March. The search for that plane continues, 10 months later.

“The lack of ability to close things down emotionally is just exhausting,” Sarah Bajc told CNN on Monday night. Her partner, Philip Woods, was on board MH370.

When news broke that another plane had disappeared this week, Bajc said, “I just started to shake.”

Flight 8501 took off two hours ahead of schedule. Is that something investigators will consider?

Schiavo said they will take that into account. A plane leaving before its scheduled departure time is unheard of in the United States, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t common practice in other countries, she noted.

“The question I would have is why,” she said. “Were they trying to beat the weather?”

CNN