12-28-2014, 11:22 PM
Another Asian Commercial Flight Falls off The Radar -- AirAsia Flight QZ8501
![[Image: Map.jpg]](http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article4882715.ece/alternates/s510b/Map.jpg)
The plane, flying from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, went missing as it flew over the Java Sea between the islands of Belitung and Borneo -- a heavily traveled shipping channel with shallow waters, according to Indonesian authorities, who are leading the search and rescue operations.
Before the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers, one of the pilots asked to fly at a higher altitude because of bad weather, officials said. No mayday or pan-pan calls were transmitted from pilots to controllers.
"Mayday means you're immediately in danger of losing the flight; pan-pan means that it is urgent but that you can continue the flight and request an alternate route or an alternate airport," said Schiavo, a former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Family members of the 162 passengers are desperately waiting for information about the mysterious disappearance.
Singapore air authorities and the Royal Australian Air Force are helping Indonesian aviation authorities with the search. It's been almost a full day since the plane fell off the radar.
Man, 2014 has been a very bad year for Asian flights.
Story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/27/world/...?hpt=hp_t1
The plane, flying from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, went missing as it flew over the Java Sea between the islands of Belitung and Borneo -- a heavily traveled shipping channel with shallow waters, according to Indonesian authorities, who are leading the search and rescue operations.
Before the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers, one of the pilots asked to fly at a higher altitude because of bad weather, officials said. No mayday or pan-pan calls were transmitted from pilots to controllers.
"Mayday means you're immediately in danger of losing the flight; pan-pan means that it is urgent but that you can continue the flight and request an alternate route or an alternate airport," said Schiavo, a former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Family members of the 162 passengers are desperately waiting for information about the mysterious disappearance.
Singapore air authorities and the Royal Australian Air Force are helping Indonesian aviation authorities with the search. It's been almost a full day since the plane fell off the radar.
Man, 2014 has been a very bad year for Asian flights.
Story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/27/world/...?hpt=hp_t1