New Delhi:
The Indian embassy in Jakarta on Monday confirmed that Delhi resident Bhavye Suneja, who was flying the ill-fated Indonesian plane that crashed into the sea, was killed in the tragedy.
The a Lion Air plane flight JT610 en-route to Pangkalpinang crashed with 188 passengers and crew near Kerawang, 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta Soekarno Hatta International Airport. Indonesia search and rescue officials said all the passengers are "likely" dead, reported AFP news agency
"Our deepest condolences on the tragic loss of lives in the Lion Air Plane crash, off the coast of Jakarta today. Most unfortunate that Indian Pilot Bhavye Suneja who was flying JT610 also lost his life... Embassy is in touch with Crisis Center and coordinating for all assistance," Indian Embassy in Jakarta tweeted.
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The flight carried 178 adults, 1 child and 2 infants. The plane also had 3 crew under training and 1 technician, the airline said in a statement. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was commanded by Captain Suneja and co-pilot Harvino with six cabin crew members. The 31-year-old captain has 6,000 flight hours and the co-pilot more than 5,000 flight hours, the statement said.
The Lion Air passenger plane from Jakarta to Pangkalpinang, that went missing 13 minutes after take-off on Monday morning at 6.33 am, crashed in the Java Sea, 15 miles off Jakarta Airport. The plane had requested a return to base before disappearing from radar.
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The aircraft was at 2,500-3,000 feet before disappearing from radar. It had reached a maximum height of about 5,450 feet after take-off and descended rapidly at about 6.31 am, according to data on Flightradar24.com. The site where the plane crashed is within the Java sea. These are shallow waters with an average depth of about 46 meters, or 141 meters.
