A man places flowers down as a sign of respect to Air Asia QZ 8501 passengers in Batu, East Java province, December 30, 2014

Air Asia crash probe focuses on timing of request to climb, weather

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- Investigators into the AirAsia flight which crashed into the sea off Indonesia are focusing on the timing of the crew's request to climb to a higher altitude to avoid bad weather as a possible factor behind the tragedy, a source close to the probe said. As Indonesian ships and aircraft recovered debris and bodies from AirAsia Flight...

A search and rescue squad from the Indonesian Airforce prepare to depart on a Puma helicopter to take part in the search for the missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501, from a base in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, on December 28, 2014.

Indonesia's Air Force search the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia's air force was searching for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing on Sunday after the pilots asked to change course to avoid bad weather during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501, an Airbus 320-200, lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 6.17 am (2317 GMT),...