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JAKARTA, Indonesia – A Lion Air airliner carrying 188 people crashed shortly after Monday morning's takeoff from Jakarta in the first major accident involving a new variant of the famous
Boeing
737.
Yusuf Latif, a spokesman for the Indonesian search and rescue agency, confirmed the destruction of the aircraft. The port authorities said that ships had been deployed in an area off the coast of Java, the main island of the archipelago, in the area where it was last heard.
Indonesian air traffic control authorities reported that they lost contact with JT610 at 0633, about 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta's main airport to Pangkal Pinang, a town on Bangka Island, near the airport. Sumatra.
The Ministry of Transport said that the plane was carrying 181 passengers and seven crew members and that the pilots of the plane had asked to return to Jakarta airport before disappearing from the radar .
The photos released by the National Disaster Prevention Agency showed offshore oil and gas workers in the region recovering debris at the scene of the accident, including mobile phones and equipment. from the plane. The agency also released a video showing an oil slick on the surface of the ocean.
The aircraft was a new Boeing 737 MAX 8 delivered to Lion Air in August, according to Flightglobal, an aviation publication and an aircraft database. It was equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines, which, together with other technological improvements, make the plane more economical and more economical for the airlines.
A spokesman for the Chicago-based aircraft builder said: "Boeing is aware of information reporting an airplane crash and is closely monitoring the situation."
Boeing has ordered more than 3,000 aircraft and has delivered approximately 220 aircraft since the beginning of its flights last year. Lion Air has received 13 so far, according to the Boeing website.
Passengers' parents comfort themselves while waiting for news at Pangkal Pinang Airport.
Photo:
/ Associated press
Lion Air, formerly PT Lion Mentari Airlines, is one of the largest low-cost airlines in Asia and belongs to Indonesian magnate Rusdi Kirana. The carrier has an uneven security history, including an accident involving another Boeing aircraft in April 2013, attributed to a pilot error. The 904 flight carrying 108 passengers and crew members crashed into shallow waters just before the runway of the main airport of Bali Island. All those on board were saved.
On December 28, 2014, the last major jet crash in Indonesia occurred, when an Air Asia Airbus A320 crashed into the Java Sea, killing the 162 passengers on board. The accident was the subject of lengthy debate as security experts claimed it was due to regulatory and other systemic problems affecting the country's air transportation system.
Following the accident, caused by restrictions imposed by US and European authorities on Indonesian air services for security reasons, the government and the carriers' representatives in the country pledged to strengthen surveillance.
The accident has become notorious in aviation circles because French government investigators, who participated in the investigation, have publicly blamed Indonesia for not committing any harm. 39, error on missteps of airlines. Experts concluded that the "mishandling" of flight controls by the crew resulted in a fatal stall, and cited deficiencies in systemic maintenance.
-I Made Sentana and Andy Pasztor contributed to this article.
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