The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sunday January 11 2015
Research vessel Baruna Jaya I has indicated it has captured ping signals that may be from AirAsia flight QZ 8501’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) in the Karimata Strait.
“It was reported that based on survey results, the ELT signals were from a location with the coordinates 03:37:20.7 south and 109:42:43 east,” Imam Mudita, a geodetic specialist with the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), said as quoted by Antara news agency in Jakarta on Sunday.
He was speaking at a press conference attended by the Baruna Jaya team and Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Indroyono Soesilo.
Imam said the pings were captured by Baruna Jaya’s ping locator. Survey vessel Java Imperia first detected the pings before Baruna Jaya I verified them.
“This is why we are sure the position is accurate,” said Imam.
He said there was a gap of around 20 meters between the ping locators of the two vessels. The Java Imperia had detected pings at a location with the coordinates 03:37:21.1 south and 109:42:42.45 east.
“We consider that both locations revealed in the surveys make sense and we have notified the National Commission for Transportation Safety [KNKT] to investigate further,” said Imam.
Indroyono praised the efforts of the Baruna Jaya team that had joined the AirAsia search operation since Dec. 30, 2014.
“Baruna Jaya is the first research vessel that entered the operation area and it has continued to operate there,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Baruna Jaya team had predicted the flight’s black boxes were located 5 kilometers from where the plane’s tail was discovered
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