(CNN)Two large metal objects were found in the search for the AirAsia airliner in the Java Sea, according to the head of Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency, Bambang Soelistyo. The objects were discovered using a metal detection system aboard an Indonesian ship.
The first object measures 9.2 x 4.6 x 0.5 meters (30 x 15 x 1.6 feet), and the second measures 7.2 x 0.5 meters (24 x 1.6 feet). A remote-operated vehicle has been sent to capture images of the objects.
[Previous story, posted at 8:13 p.m. ET]
30 bodies, window panel found as AirAsia search focuses on ‘most probable’ area
(CNN) — The search for clues into where AirAsia Flight QZ8501 went into the sea continued Saturday morning, amid news that oil slicks had been spotted in the search zone.
The USS Sampson was one of the ships in the Java Sea looking for debris and bodies, the U.S. Navy said. On Friday, crew members helped recover remains, the U.S. 7th Fleet said.
In total, 30 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of AirAsia Flight QZ8501, Indonesian officials said.
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The plane and the pilots
What we know: The 6-year-old Airbus A320-200, operated by AirAsia’s Indonesian affiliate, had accumulated about 23,000 flight hours in about 13,600 flights, according to Airbus. The plane’s last scheduled maintenance was on November 16.
Flight 8501’s veteran captain, Iriyanto, 53, had 20,537 flying hours, 6,100 of them with AirAsia on the Airbus A320, the airline said. The first officer, Remi Emmanuel Plesel, 46, had 2,275 flying hours, a reasonable amount for his position.
What we don’t know: Whether technical problems, human error or other issues were involved in the crash. According to information from the Aviation Safety Network accident database, there have been 54 incidents involving the A320.
“In the A320 family, accidents and incidents range from fan-cowl detachment, landing gear collapse, bird strikes, right through to hull losses through pilot error,” said Kane Ray, an analyst with the International Bureau of Aviation, a global aviation consulting group. “Most aircraft have teething problems, and in most cases, these are eradicated. Very rarely, these issues cause disasters — largely because of a culmination of factors that lead to the event,” Ray said.
