Tail of Air Asia Flight QZ8501 found

Indonesian search-and-rescue workers have found the tail of Air Asia Flight QZ8501, a find which investigators say will hopefully lead to the plane’s flight recorders.

The search operation, now in its 11th day, discovered the tail of the aircraft underwater using sonar. Weather conditions in the area have proved unfavourable, with strong winds and high waves hampering the search for additional debris and passengers.

In a statement, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency said that workers continue to comb the area where the tail was found for the plane’s flight recorders, stored in the rear of the craft.

The aircraft, an Airbus A320-200, was carrying 155 passengers on board when it lost contact with air traffic control on Dec. 28 during a flight between Surabaya, Indonesia and Singapore. Debris from the plane was then found in the Karimata Strait, between the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

As of Jan. 7, the remains of 40 passengers have been recovered from the crash site.