WASHINGTON
Indonesian officials asked the US on Monday for help in finding an AirAsia jet that disappeared Sunday with 162 people onboard.
"Today, we received a request for assistance locating the airplane, and we are reviewing that request to find out how we can meet Indonesia's request for assistance," said State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke.
AirAsia Flight 8501 from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore was carrying 155 passengers and seven crew when it disappeared.
Authorities believe the Airbus A320-200 crashed Sunday morning into the Java Sea but without the plane, a definite answer is unlikely.
Prior to disappearing from radar, the pilot requested to alter the flight’s route due to bad weather. His request was not immediately granted as six other commercial aircraft were in the area.
The majority onboard were Indonesians but the co-pilot was French and there were three South Koreans, a Malaysian and a British national, reportedly traveling with his Singaporean daughter.
Search operations were suspended Monday night for a second straight night, after debris and oil patches were spotted in separate locations on the water earlier in the day. It is unknown if they are related to the AirAsia flight.
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