Co-Pilot Was Flying AirAsia Flight When It Crashed

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An Indonesian diver and an official examine the wreckage from AirAsia flight QZ8501 after it was lifted into the Crest Onyx ship at sea, near Indonesia on Jan. 10, 2015.
An Indonesian diver and an official examine the wreckage from AirAsia flight QZ8501 after it was lifted into the Crest Onyx ship at sea, near Indonesia on Jan. 10, 2015.AFP/Getty Images
By Tessa Berenson Rogers

The co-pilot of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 was controlling the plane before it crashed, according to Indonesian investigators.

This new information comes from the flight data recorder which was recovered from the Java Sea earlier this month, the BBC reports.

The data records that the aircraft climbed sharply before descending, going from 32,000ft (9,750m) to 37,400ft in 30 seconds, then dropping to 32,000ft.

The plane, which crashed en route from Surabaya to Singapore on December 28, had 162 people on board. So far 70 bodies have been recovered. The civilian National Search and Rescue Agency said Wednesday that their search efforts will continue, but could end next week if more bodies aren’t found.

[BBC]

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Write to Tessa Berenson Rogers at tessa.Rogers@time.com