Indonesia plane crash LIVE: Wreckage and ‘suspected body parts’ found after Boeing 737 carrying 62 crashes in sea
DEBRIS and 'suspected body parts' have been found after a plane carrying 62 people onboard dropped 10,000ft into the sea.
The Boeing 737 went missing shortly after take-off from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Saturday - but it emerged the plane took less than a minute to crash after plummeting thousands of feet.
A total of 56 passengers and six crew members were on the flight while reports say the jet was carrying seven children including three babies.
Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 fell 10,000ft in less than a minute and plunged into the Java Sea, reports say.
Locals on Thousand Island – north of Jakarta – said they heard two explosions before finding debris floating in the sea.
Follow the very latest news and updates of the missing plane in our live blog below.
EXPERTS 'QUESTIONING PROGRESS OF COUNTRY'S AVIATION INDUSTRY'
Yesterday's plane crash has once again cast the limelight on the safety of the country's aviation industry.
A Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 carrying 62 people plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff.
Indonesia's aviation record is one of the worst in Asia, with more civilian airliner passenger accidents since 1945 than any other country in the region.
Past accidents have been attributed to poor pilot training, mechanical failures, air traffic control issues and poor aircraft maintenance.
While experts say there have been many improvements in recent years, the latest crash has experts questioning the true progress of Indonesia's aviation oversight and regulation.
A MOTHER'S HEARTBREAK
A mother broke down in tears as she showed a photo of her 16-year-old daughter who was onboard the flight.
Lena's daughter Dinda Amelia was one of 62 on the passenger plane which crashed yesterday just minutes after it took off from the Indonesian capital.
The heartbroken mother has gathered with other family members at Supadio airport, in Pontianak on Borneo island, where a crisis centre has been set up.
Lena shows a picture of her daughter, Dinda Amelia, who was on the flightCredit: AFP or licensors 
The heartbroken mother burst into tears as she showed the photoCredit: ANTARA FOTO FAMILIES SHARE AGONISING FINAL MESSAGES
Families have shared their agonising last messages with loved ones on board the tragic flight.
Rafiq Yusuf Al Idrus outlined the last communications he had with his wife Panca Widiya Nursanti, a middle-school teacher in Pontianak.
She had been returning from a trip to her home town of Tegal in Central Java, and told her husband the weather conditions were “not good”.
“She contacted me via Whatsapp at 2.05pm with laughter. She was already boarding the plane and she said the weather conditions were not good. I said pray a lot, please.
“I was joking by saying that when she arrived in Pontianak we would eat satay together,” he said.
SIGNALS TRACKED BY POLICE
Signals from the plane's black box were tracked by Indonesian police, as search and rescue teams battle to find the six crew members and 56 passengers - including seven children.
Authorities have located the box and retrieved its communication data, and hope to retrieve it from the seabed, as they believe it is 23 meters (approximately 75 feet) below the surface.
The head of the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC), Suryanto Cahyono, said he was confident experts had located the black box's position and had handed over "portable ping detection devices to Navy divers so they can find it."
CONTINUED - PILOTS
Diego's LinkedIn profile explains his role flying the Boeing 737 planes, as well as the words, "I really love to fly."
Diego and pilot Afwan, who goes by only one name, had nearly two decades of commercial flying experience between them.
A family member of Awfan, a former air force pilot, told Detik.com, "We the family still hope for good news."
PILOTS HAD 'DECADES OF EXPERIENCE'
The pilots had decades of experience between them, with the flight captain reported to be a former air force pilot.
His co-pilot had been at Sriwijaya Air since 2013, according to his Linkedin profile.
The brother of co-pilot Diego Mamahit told how he had been asked for blood samples at the police hospital.
"I believe my younger brother survived, these are just for the police procedure," Chris Mamahit said.
"Diego is a good man, we still believe Diego survived."
DATA ON THE MISSING FLIGHT
DIVERS EXAMINE PLANE WRECKAGE
Divers from the Indonesian Navy are examining the underwater wreckage of the plane.
Debris is being collected by the team to be inspected.
Divers from the Indonesian Navy are searching the underwater wreckageCredit: Getty Images - Getty 
Debris is being collected from the wreckage by the teamCredit: Getty Images - Getty PLANE CRASHED MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF
Tracking service Flightradar24 said the aircraft took off at 2.36pm local time - 7.36am in the UK - and climbed to reach 10,900 feet within four minutes.
It then began a steep descent and stopped transmitting data 21 seconds later.
A transport ministry spokeswoman said air traffic control had asked the pilot why the plane was heading northwest instead of on its expected flight path seconds before it disappeared.
PLANE WAS 'AIRWORTHY'
Sriwijaya Air has had only minor incidents in the past, though a farmer was killed in 2008 when one of its planes went off the runway while landing due to a hydraulic issue.
The airline's president director, Jefferson Irwin Jauwena, said the plane that crashed - which was 26 years old and previously used by airlines in the United State - was airworthy.
He told reporters that the plane had previously flown on the same day.
But experts said an investigation is needed to determine whether the plane was in fact fit to fly.
WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH?
It is too soon to tell what caused Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 to crash yesterday.
Experts said there could be several reasons, including human error, the planes condition and poor weather in Jakarta, where the plane departed from.
Fishermen in the vicinity of the crash said they heard an explosion, followed by debris and fuel surrounding their boat.
But heavy rain impaired their vision and they were unable to see much more.
INVESTIGATION COULD TAKE MONTHS
An investigation into the cause of the crash could take weeks, likely months, according Indonesian aviation consultant Gerry Soejatman.
Indonesia is expected to lead the investigation, with international observers typically welcomed as well.
There should be an interim report from Indonesias National Transportation Safety Committee within a month, Soejatman said.
"The analysis will start with that report." he added.
WORKING TO RETRIEVE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER
The wreckage site and the plane's black boxes have been located, according to officials.
Authorities are currently working to retrieve the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the sea.
Materials pulled from water, including the black boxes, could provide some insight into what happened.
WHAT IS THE BOEING 737-500?
The Boeing 737-500 is part of the 737 family, the world’s most-flown commercial aircraft series. It was developed in the 1960s to serve short- or medium-length routes.
The 737-500 entered service in 1990 and comes from the second of four generations of 737, dubbed 737 Classic.
It shares only limited features with the fourth and latest generation, Boeing’s problem-plagued 737 MAX, and does not have the flawed cockpit software that contributed to two fatal crashes and triggered the MAX’s 20-month grounding.
But the 737-500 has mostly been phased out in favour of younger, more fuel-efficient models for economic reasons.
The aircraft that crashed was almost 27 years old and was originally flown by carriers in the United States.
RESCUERS FIND PIECES OF WRECKAGE
Pieces of wreckage have been brought to Jakarta port by rescuers.
Authorities said they came from a depth of 23 metres (75 feet) near a group of islands off the Jakarta coast.
One twisted piece of metal was painted in Sriwijaya Air's blue and red colours.
Indonesian authorities said they had also retrieved body parts and clothing.
FAMILIES ASKED FOR DNA SAMPLES
Body parts and clothing have been retrieved from the waters, according to Indonesian authorities.
Police asked families to provide information such as dental records and DNA samples to help identify bodies
The plane had 62 passengers on board, including six crew members and seven children.
All were Indonesians.
President Joko Widodo, speaking at the palace in Bogor, expressed "deep condolences" over the disaster and urged the public to pray the missing people could be found.
WRECKAGE FOUND BY FISHERMAN
Pictures of the wreckage — most of which was found by fisherman — have been broadcast widely on Indonesian TV.
Zulkifli, a security official, told CNN Indonesia: "We found some cables, a piece of jeans and pieces of metal on the water."
The Sea and Coast Guard Unit (KPLP) said they found what appeared to be the jet's emergency staircase, which is located at its door.
What are believed to be body parts have also been found, reports .
Credit: AP:Associated Press PLANE 'FELL LIKE LIGHTNING'
Locals on Thousand Island — north of Jakarta —- said they heard two explosions before finding debris floating in the sea.
A fisherman, named Solihin, told the BBC that he had been at sea when he saw the plane crash into the water near to his ship.
He said: "The plane fell like lightning into the sea and exploded in the water.
"It was pretty close to us, the shards of a kind of plywood almost hit my ship."
MISSING SRIWIJAYA AIR PLANE WAS IN GOOD CONDITION
The Sriwijaya Air plane that went missing on Saturday after taking off from the Indonesian capital Jakarta with 62 people on board was in good condition.
The airline’s chief executive, Jefferson Irwin Jauwena, told reporters the flight was delayed for 30 minutes before it could take off, due to heavy rain.
CONTINUED
"We feel powerless, we can only wait and hope to have any information soon," Irfansyah told reporters.
Irfansyah said his relatives had originally been due to take an earlier flight operated by Sriwijaya's unit NAM Air and he was unclear why that was changed.
His sister and her two children had been at the end of a three-week holiday and were taking the 740 km (460 mile) trip home to Pontianak on the island of West Kalimantan.
"I was the one who drove them to the airport, helped with the check-ins and the luggage ... I feel like I still can't believe this and it happened too fast," Irfansyah said.
'BYE BYE FAMILY'
"Bye bye family. We're heading home for now" was the heartbreaking final message a mother posted on Instagram from Jakarta's airport with pictures her children.
The message was sent by Ratih Windania just before they boarded a plane from the Indonesian capital on Saturday that crashed into the sea minutes after take-off, carrying 62 passengers and crew.
"Pray for us," her brother Irfansyah Riyanto posted on Instagram with a picture of the family.
Like dozens of other desperate relatives, Irfansyah rushed to Jakarta's Soekarno Hatta airport late on Saturday.
Today, he was still hoping for good news about his sister and four other family members on the flight, including his parents.
Ratih Windania posted a selfie with her childen as the family boarded the planeCredit: Instagram
WHICH AIRLINE WAS THE PLANE WITH?
The Boeing 737-500 which crashed yesterday joined Sriwijaya Air’s fleet in 2012.
Founded in 2003, Jakarta-based Sriwijaya Air group flies largely within Indonesia's sprawling archipelago.
The budget airline has had a solid safety record, with no onboard casualties in four incidents recorded on the Aviation Safety Network database.
In 2007, the European Union banned all Indonesian airlines following a series of crashes and reports of deteriorating oversight and maintenance since deregulation in the late 1990s.
The restrictions were fully lifted in 2018.
'TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF CRASH'
Experts say it is too early to determine the factors responsible for the crash Sriwijaya Air jet.
Authorities have, however, located the plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.
The flight took off from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport yesterday and soon crashed into the sea.
The Sriwijaya jet climbed to 10,900 feet within four minutes but then began a steep descent and stopped transmitting data 21 seconds later, according to tracking website FlightRadar24.
COUNTRY'S THIRD MAJOR AIRLINE CRASH IN JUST OVER SIX YEARSc
Indonesia's chequered air safety record is again in the spotlight after a Sriwijaya Air jet crashed into the Java Sea yesterday, marking the country's third major airline crash in just over six years.
Before the crash there had been 697 fatalities in Indonesia over the last decade, including military and private planes, making it the deadliest aviation market in the world - ahead of Russia, Iran and Pakistan - according to Aviation Safety Network's database.
The Sriwijaya crash of a Boeing Co 737-500 follows the loss of a Lion Air 737 MAX in October 2018 that contributed to a global grounding of the model, and the crash of an AirAsia Indonesia Airbus SE A320 in December 2014.
BOEING COMPANY SENDS CONDOLENCES
The Boeing Company has sent its condolences following yesterday's crash.
The Sriwijaya Air plane was a 26-year-old Boeing 737-500, with older 737 models widely flown.
"We are in contact with our airline customer and stand ready to support them during this difficult time," Boeing said in a statement.
"Our thoughts are with the crew, passengers, and their families."