Indonesia Air Asia flight QZ 8501 loses contact with ATC

[Himeno]

APU failures are pretty regular occurences .....

But don't let that simple fact stop the media from reporting them for one airline and not another.

 

[jb747]

APUs shutting down with a 'bang' is normally the aircraft systems making the bang(s), as their air and electricity supply dies. 90% of the time, the APU will start up again and run happily. All aircraft do it. More likely to happen in hot places, where the air load is higher.

 

[ethernet]

Latest update

1) They *think* they have found the tail unit. Obviously out of 80 divers not one of em can set a line and do blind underwater mapping - something competent clearance divers can do with ease with an SMB reel. Dont know if BSAC divers still practice setting submarine nets in pitch black quarries.

2) Whats this about $30,000 compensation? AirAsia plane crash: Investigation continues
Besides being cheesy, it looks like the underwriter is trying to weasel out of coughing up. I have dived in Indonesia, and it is very common the insurance premiums are not paid correctly; if at all. But you will pay for a non-optional compulsory policy if you dive their marine national parks (Where pelagics are rare, and dynamiting appears evident in places.

 

[Mal]

I don't have any confidence in the professionalism of this entire search process.

 

[ethernet]

I don't have any confidence in the professionalism of this entire search process.

Me too. They have .sg (very good indeed)and other resources - yet not a peep out of them.
The shallowness and non-technical details - after actually finding bits - is a discredit to their PR chimp.
No one is contradicting rough seas, at at these shallow depths. but I doubt it. I might buy a nasty current.

Use a ramset gun to affix a plate with rope to hoist the tail section to a barge. Sure a few bodies may float away, but this has to be compared to a week of underwater bloating while strapped in / and or being nibbled at by hungry fish or eels. Waiting for duckpond conditions is perhaps - not going to happen.

The alternative is that the bodies have already been removed, and there is a lot of things (facts) that have not yet been disclosed. Many probably had their last moments recorded on iphones - and oh yes, the footage will be retrievable. Remains to be seen if loved ones with get these mobile phones back.
Forensics can perhaps even get gforce and timings of impact. Stay tuned for exclusive 'dying seconds' if the property is rightfully returned to their next of kin - un-erased.

 

[PLANT]

So air Asia still flying like nothing happened? Have a colleague booked on a flight to Vietnam..... Should they pack an eperb?

 

[moa999]

Air Asia Indonesia and a bunch of the other Indo LCCs have had a bunch of routes cancelled thanks to other route irregularities. Suspect mayhem at a few airports.

Plant, what would you expect Air Asia to do?

 

[GalaxyNexus]

Menhub Jonan Batasi Harga Tiket Pesawat Murah Demi Alasan Keamanan

Jonan "Tiadakan" Tiket Murah Agar Maskapai Lebih Peduli Keselamatan - Kompas.com

Haven't seen any English sources yet for this, but basically the minister plans to set minimum prices for tickets "for safety reason". It's also quoted that the minister challenges the local competition regulator (KPPU) "if this plan is blocked, let's blame the KPPU if anything goes wrong".

:shock:

 

[Archphoto]

They've found the tail.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-30706298

Now for some answers.

 

[JohnK]

There's a suggestion in today's MSM that insurance cover may be denied.

Out of interest why? Negligence?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Out of interest why? Negligence?

negligence shouldn't necessarily be an issue to deny insurance... after all... plenty of insurance claims are due to negligence (or either one or both parties (think car accidents)).

gross or criminal negligence might be a reason.

however in this case, we'll have to wait for the facts. If you weren't supposed to be flying the plane, that might make a difference. It might also be that insurance is calculated for certain flights on certain routes, and this one wasn't paid for.

However, the airline has said it won't hide behind any lack of convention (indonesia is not a signatory to Montreal, only Warsaw). And Indonesian law still sets a compensation level of almost $100,000 per passenger.

If there's no insurance, the airline direct would have to pay out of it's own bank account.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Out of interest why? Negligence?

I'd assume because the plane was reportedly not meant to be flying. Similar thing I guess if you drive an unregistered vehicle. All OK as long as you don't have an accident. Then the insurance company may choose to deny the claim. (I'm not suggesting that's the case however, just my assumption)

 

[medhead]

So air Asia still flying like nothing happened? Have a colleague booked on a flight to Vietnam..... Should they pack an eperb?

Might be better to pack an Epirb. But it ain't going to help packed in a bag as the aircraft breaks apart on hitting the ocean/ground.

 

[jsoprano]

Now here's a new idea from the Indonesian government following the AirAsia crash:

Indonesian news portal Detik reported Wednesday that bargain tickets offered by low-cost carriers — some of which go for as little as $4 — were to be banned.
“This is so that the airline has enough financial room to raise the safety standard,” said Transport Ministry official Hadi M. Djuraid. “We have no problem if they lower the service standard … but lowering the safety standard isn’t allowed.”

AirAsia QZ8501 Crash: Indonesia Vows New Curbs on Budget-Airline Fares

So how does an airline that charges $200 for a seat automatically become safer than one that offers seats for $20?? Well, at least much easier to implement than fixing the true underlying issues, such as government oversight of the industry, corruption, etc.

 

[QF WP]

Now I read they aren't refunding fares as they "are an LCC, unlike MH" -

 

[samh004]

Now I read they aren't refunding fares as they "are an LCC, unlike MH" -

You mean Air Asia isn't refunding fares, or would a better comparison be they "are an LCC, unlike Garuda"? Seeing as this is an Indonesian subsidiary

 

[robd]

Finally detected 'pings' -

Indonesia says pings detected in search for AirAsia jet's black box | Reuters

 

[Mal]

Finally detected 'pings' -

Indonesia says pings detected in search for AirAsia jet's black box | Reuters

Yes, finally.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Finally detected 'pings' -

Indonesia says pings detected in search for AirAsia jet's black box | Reuters

I just read that news and thought WOW.......shows just how inefficient the pings or the receiving technology is. Where is this plane? 25m of water and visible and they only received the pings after 2-3 weeks of searching? Who makes these black box bizzos.......Microsoft?

 

[Mal]

I just read that news and thought WOW.......shows just how inefficient the pings or the receiving technology is. Where is this plane? 25m of water and visible and they only received the pings after 2-3 weeks of searching? Who makes these black box bizzos.......Microsoft?

I suspect the technology is fine, it's just the combination of what I deem to be a very badly managed search, and inept people involved.