US Support for Search For Missing AirAsia Flight Continues

WASHINGTON, January 6 (Sputnik) — The United States continues to support the ongoing search operation for the missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501 that crashed into the Java Sea in December, the State Department said Tuesday.

“The US Navy has offered ships, helicopters, sonar equipment and small boats, they have all contributed to search efforts,” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said. “In particular, the USS Samson and USS Fort Worth are actively engaged in search activities in close coordination with Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency.”

The destroyer USS Sampson joined the search operation on December 30 and the combat ship USS Fort Worth joined on January 3, the US Navy said. Both ships are supported by helicopters, small boats and divers to assist in the search for debris and passengers’ remains.

AirAsia's Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people on board, crashed into the Java Sea on December 28 in route from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore. The cause of the crash is unknown. Indonesian search and rescue teams supported by international partners continue to search for the plane wreckage and the plane’s black box, which will give investigators insight into the fatal accident. Ten days after the crash more than three dozen bodies of Flight QZ8501 passengers have been found.