The Boeing 737 Srivijaya, which went missing on January 9, may have remained intact until it hit the water, Indonesian National Transportation Safety Board (KNKD) investigators said. The Independent.
“We do not know for sure, but when we look at the wreckage of the plane, we see it scattered over a small area,” KNKD investigator Nurkahio Utomo told Reuters.
“It could have broken contact with the water because if it had exploded in the plane the debris would have scattered over a large radius,” Utomo added.
A Boeing 737-500 owned by Indonesian operator Srivijaya Air crashed shortly after takeoff from the capital Jakarta on January 9 at Pontianak on the island of Borneo. The plane disappeared from radar from four mines and crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff.
The 27-year-old plane crashed nearly 3,000 meters within 60 seconds before hitting the water. Witnesses said they heard two explosions.
The plane’s two black boxes were located in the water, and divers were trying to bring them to the surface.
The intervention team has so far been able to locate several components of the aircraft, as well as some passenger clothing and other personal items. Divers identify human remains underwater and try to retrieve bodies.
This is the worst plane crash since the 2018 event in Indonesia, with the Lion Air Boeing 737 Max Java colliding with 189 passengers at sea.
All Boeing 737 Max aircraft were grounded after the crash, and a large-scale investigation into the plane’s problems was launched.
Author: V.M.
