Indonesian Airliner Carrying 189 People Crashes into Sea off Jakarta
by Barbara Peterson /
A Lion Air Boeing 737 jet, carrying 189 passengers and crew, crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta early Monday.
A search was underway for victims, but Indonesian safety officials said they did not believe there were any survivors. They were also expected to launch a more extensive search for the wreckage, which is reportedly sunk in depths of more than 100 feet, and the crucial black boxes, which could shed light on how the plane, a brand-new 737 MAX, could have crashed with little apparent warning.
According to reports, the aircraft had been serviced for a maintenance problem the previous day, but it was apparently resolved and the plane was cleared for takeoff, for a short flight to an island off Sumatra. The pilot contacted air traffic control 13 minutes into the flight, requesting to return to the airport, but he did not report an emergency, according to CNN.
The accident is also expected to focus attention on Indonesia’s spotty record on air safety and whether the country’s budget airlines are growing too fast. Lion Air is one of the largest discount carriers in Southeast Asia, and earlier this year it placed an order for 50 Boeing narrowbody aircraft. But the line was also among a group of Indonesian carriers that were banned in 2007 from flying in both European and U.S. airspace after a series of crashes and other safety lapses. The restrictions on Lion Air were lifted several years ago.