AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control December 28 at 07:24 (Surabaya local time). The flight took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 05:35 hours local time (22:35 UTC).
The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. The plane went missing over the Java Sea between Surabaya and Singapore. On board were 155 passengers and seven crew members, according to a statement by Indonesia AirAsia.
After takeoff the airplane turned left, heading 329° over the Java Sea. The planned cruising altitude of FL320 was reached at 05:54. At the same time the airplane turned left to 319°. Ten minutes later the airplane slightly changed course to 310°. At 06:12 the flight contacted Jakarta ACC, stating that they were deviating to the left of their planned route along airway M-635 to avoid a thunderstorm. The flight also requested a climb to FL380. Last radar contact with the aircraft was at 06:18 hours (Surabaya time, 23:18 UTC).
Leaked photo of ATC screen on QZ8501, it ended up at 36300ft and climbing but ground speed only 353 knots! At this altitude it should have been several hundred knots faster:
Estimated position of QZ8501 at 23:18 UTC when AirNav Indonesia said they lost radar contact:
Weather satellite image of the area:
The captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours
Nationalities of passengers:
1 Singapore
1 Malaysia
3 South Korea
1 United Kingdom
149 Indonesia
Nationalities of crew:
1 France
6 Indonesia
The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November 2014.