AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Crash Update: More than 50 passengers unrecovered; Indonesia to release investigation report August

By Staff Writer

Feb 27, 2015 10:01 AM EST

Indonesia will release the final report into last year's AirAsia QZ8501 plane crash by August, the transport minister told AFP this week as reported by Daily Mail UK.

"(The NTSC) promised (the final report) will be released by August," transport minister Ignasius Jonan revealed in his reported interview, referring to the National Transportation Safety Committee that serves as the investigating body of the disaster.

"I have instructed the NTSC that the report must be as independent as possible," he said.

ICAO has stated that the investigation aims to keep these accidents from happening in the future and not to assign blame or liability.

The minister was hesistant to disclose further details about the investigation while the final report is yet for release. Either the NTSC has shed information on what caused the crash of Air Asia or what happened in between times before the ill-fated event.

Although, the committee did previously confirm that French co-pilot Remi Plesel was flying the plane, not former fighter jet pilot Captain Iriyanto.

In its official report, it's been discovered that the plane climbed from 32,000  to above 37,000 feet within 30 seconds, possibly in an attempt to evade a storm threat and hastily returned to 32,000 feet before eventually diving towards the sea.

To date, there are more than 100 bodies or body parts have been retrieved during the search and rescue operation.

Meanwhile, QPR Chairman Tony Fernandes has issued a statement and addressed the squad as to how he copes with the trauma of AirAsia crash QZ8501 where 162 passengers and crew were killed. 

"It's been the hardest part of my life," Fernandes said of the crash. "It's been indescribable. But as I spoke to the [AirAsia] staff and as I spoke to the players - it has given me an inner strength."

Fernandes has also extended his time to help with the aftermath of the Air Asia QZ8501 crash and admits it was tough speaking to families of those involved.

He added: "That was really hard. What do you say to someone who has lost five people on their plane?

"I don't know. Human nature, whatever, gives you the strength to find a way.

"Burying my own staff was a nightmare. Taking a 22-year-old girl on a plane and burying her in her home town. But you find the strength.

"I apologised. It's not our fault.

"But what else can you say? They were on my aircraft. And they're not with them.

"And we just sat and talked and made them feel very comfortable that whatever happens, we would find them and we wouldn't give up.

"And I think that was very reassuring. We haven't found everyone yet.

"There are still more than 50 people unaccounted for. But we just talked to them and let them talk to me, show me pictures and tell stories."

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