Lion jet had technical problem on front flight

KARAWANG, Indonesia (AP) – The Latest on a Lion Air plane disappearance (all times local):

1:50 p.m.

Lion Air's president says the plane has crashed into the sea.

Airline President Edward Sirait said Monday the technical problem on the Boeing 737. He was not more specific but said the problem would be part of the investigation of Monday's crash.

Separately, Indonesia's Directorate-General of Air Transportation said to travel to Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang. The plane crashed into the sea about 13 minutes after takeoff.

Sindu Rahayu said, "The plane has been forced to return to base before disappearing from the radar." It gives no other details about the request.

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1:30 p.m.

Boeing says it is "deeply saddened" by the crash of a Lion Air on the Indonesian coast and offered to help with the investigation.

Lion Air Flight 610 crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on Monday morning. Searchers so far have found plane debris and personal items but no bodies.

The 737 Max 8 plane was bound for Pangkal Pinang, an island chain off Sumatra.

The Chicago-based planemaker said it is prepared to provide technical assistance to the crash probe, which will be carried out by Indonesian investigators.

In its statement, Boeing Co. expressed its concern for the 189 people onboard, and offered "heartfelt sympathies to their families and loved ones."

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Noon

Families are turning up at Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency headquarters in Jakarta for a plane crash at sea.

Indonesia's Finance Minister Sri Mulyani with the agency chief, seeking information about the 20 finance ministry staff who were on the flight. The Boeing plane disappeared Monday morning and the search is concentrating in oil-slickened waters where debris has been found.

Feni, who uses a single name, said her soon-to-be-married sister was planning to meet in Pangkal Pinang.

"We're here to find out about my younger sister, her fiance, her in-law to be a friend of them," said Feni.

"We do not have any information," she said, as her father wiped tears from reddened eyes. "We're confused. We hope that our family is still alive, "she said.

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11 am

Aviation tracking website Flightradar24 says the Lion Air plane that crashed after taking off from Jakarta was a brand-new aircraft that has been in use for a couple of months.

The site says the 737 Max 8 plane was registered as PK-LQP and was delivered to the airline in August.

Vessels searching in the water for the Flight 610 wreckage have found various items of debris.

The Max 8 is part of Boeing Co.'s latest narrow-body 737 series. It replaced the similar 737-800 in the Chicago-based planemaker's product line.

Boeing spokesman Paul Lewis says Boeing is "closely monitoring the situation" but did not provide details on the aircraft in question.

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10:20 am

Indonesia's disaster agency says a passenger aircrew crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta and was carrying 188 passengers and crew.

Agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho posted photos on Twitter of debris including a crushed smartphone, books, bags and parts of the aircraft fuselage that had been collected by search and rescue vessels that have converged on the area.

He has 181 passengers, one child and two babies, and seven crew members.

Indonesian TV broadcast pictures of a fuel slick and debris field.

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10 am

A search and rescue effort is being conducted at sea for a flight to Jakarta.

The Boeing 737-800 departed the Indonesian capital about 6.20 a.m. for Pangkal Pinang on an island chain off Sumatra. Data for Flight 610 FlightAware ends just a few minutes following takeoff.

"We can confirm that," said Air Lion spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantoro. "Its position can not be ascertained yet."