US warship, USS Sampson
The search for missing Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 resumed on Tuesday, with the US navy joining the multi-nation operation on its third day.
Answering a request for aid from the Indonesian Government, the USS Sampson has been authorised to join the search, The Guardian reported.
The US Navy is working with the Indonesian Government to identify “additional surface or airborne capabilities that best assist their search efforts”, the report said.
The USS Sampson, a guided-missile destroyer based in San Diego, is expected to arrive at the scene by Tuesday.
The US warship joins the search alongside other seacraft, planes and helicopters from various nations including Malaysia.
China’s Ministry of National Defence has also said that Beijing would dispatch aircraft and ships to participate in search and rescue efforts.
The search is also expected to expand to land areas that include the western part of West Kalimantan province.
Flight QZ8501 vanished from the radar screens on Sunday morning over the Java Sea about 40 minutes after taking off from Surabaya to Singapore.
The Airbus A320-200 aircraft had reportedly requested to deviate from its original flight path to avoid thick clouds and rise to a height of 38,000 feet from the initial height of 32,000 feet.
Indonesian air traffic control lost contact with the plane at 6.24am (Western Indonesian time, an hour behind Malaysian time) as it was flying with 155 passengers and seven crew members. – Singapore Straits Times/ANN
