The Tail of the Missing AirAsia Plane Has Been Found in the Java Sea

Part of the tail of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 has been found in the Java Sea, an Indonesian search team said on Wednesday.

The section — the only significant piece of wreckage from the Airbus A320-200 to be found so far — was located some 30km (19 miles) from the primary search area area — suggesting that strong currents may have moved it.

It was found by search and rescue divers — assisted by unmanned underwater vehicles — who have been hunting for the plane since it was lost en route from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore on December 28.

One hundred fifty-five passengers and seven crew members were aboard the plane. No survivors have been found and 40 bodies have been recovered from the sea. Searchers believe that many more bodies are still inside the plane's fuselage, likely strapped to their seats.

An international team of doctors is working to identify the remains.

The cause of the crash is unknown. At the time of its disappearance, the plane was flying through rough weather and pilots had asked for permission to change routes, and to climb from 32,000 to 38,000 feet to bypass a storm system. On Saturday, an initial inquiry by the Indonesian weather agency BMKG concluded that icy air conditions had caused the plane's engine to stall.

The tail houses the plane's voice and data recorders — or, "black boxes" — which could help investigators fully determine why the plane disappeared 42 minutes after taking off, and later crashed.

The tail was found buried in the mud, under around 98 feet (30m) of water. Earlier, the plane's door and several seats were found floating in the sea.

Sonar-equipped ships have also located what searchers believe to be the fuselage of the plane.

The plane's disappearance has led to a massive international search operation, involving over 30 ships, in addition to aerial monitors. On Tuesday, a US Navy vessel and a Chinese rescue ship joined the effort. But the investigation has been slowed by strong currents and rocky waves resulting from a monsoon in Southeast Asia.

"The seas haven't been very friendly, but the black boxes have a 30-day life and they will be able to find them," Peter Marosszeky, a senior aviation researcher at the University of New South Wales, told Reuters.

On Wednesday, Indonesian officials announced that they would expand their search area. They are now focusing on an area about 90 miles off the coast of Borneo.

Indonesian authorities have temporarily banned AirAsia flights from Surabaya to Singapore. On Monday, transport ministry official Djoko Murjatmojo said that the air traffic controllers and airport officers who allowed the plane to depart had been been taken off the job, and given other duties.

Families of the deceased have been offered flights to the suspected crash site, near the Indonesian town of Pangkalan Bun, where they will be given an opportunity to lay flower wreaths. Gen Moeldo, an Indonesian Armed Forces commander, said on Monday that he hoped this would "reduce their sadness and the feeling of loss."

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