From what I have been reading, they were initially maintaining 470 knots at FL320 and requested a course deviation and climb to FL380. They never responded to the clearance to climb to FL340 and they were probably out of control as they climbed through FL363 with a groundspeed of only 353 knots. (approx 333 knots TAS) (approx 180 knots IAS)
What was the time of the AirNav Indonesia Radar screen shot showing them climbing through FL363? I assume it was at approx 06:14-06:16 local.
Details from AirNav Indonesia (
http://www.airnavindonesia.co.id):
06:12
- QZ8501 requests left deviation from airway. Deviation approved.
- Pilot then requests climb from FL320 to FL380
- ATC asks pilot to standby, due to nearby traffic and to coordinate with next sector (Singapore)
06:14
- ATC calls QZ8501 to approve partial climb to FL340
- No response received after 2 or 3 further attempts to contact
- ATC requests help from nearby aircraft to contact QZ8501
06:16
- ATC still cannot reach QZ8501
- Aircraft still observed on radar screen
06:17
- Radar contact lost
- Last reported altitude: FL290
The Aviation Herald Crash: Indonesia Asia A320 over Java Sea on Dec 28th 2014, aircraft went missing believed to have impacted waters
A radar screenshot leaked from AirNav Indonesia shows the aircraft had turned left off the airway and was climbing through FL363, the speed over ground had decayed from 470 knots at FL320 to 353 knots however.
On Dec 29th 2014 Indonesia's Ministry of Transport reported the aircraft took off from Surabaya at 05:36L (Dec 27th 22:36Z), at 06:12L contacted Jakarta Center enroute at FL320, Jakarta Center identified the aircraft on radar. The crew requested to climb to FL380 and requested to deviate to the left of M-635 around cloud. The aircraft seemingly was on the radar screen at 06:16L, at 06:17L only the ADS-B signal remained, contact with ATC was lost, at 06:18L the target disappeared from the radar screen. At 07:08L INCERFA was invoked by ATC, at 07:28L ATC declared ALERTFA and at 07:55L DETRESFA was declared by ATC. According to standard operating procedures AirNav Indonesia opened a crisis center under the lead of the director of Civil Aviation at the Tower of Jakarta Airport. All crew with the exception of the first officer (French citizen) were Indonesians. In addition to the 6 crew there were 155 passengers on board of the aircraft.
On Dec 29th 2014 AirNav Indonesia reported that the captain of the flight requested to climb to FL380. AirNav Indonesia coordinated with Singapore, which took not more than two, maybe three minutes. Due to other traffic the aircraft could not get cleared to FL380 instantly and was cleared to FL340 at first. When the aircraft was radioed with the clearance to climb to FL340 at 06:14L, there was no response anymore. At that time the aircraft was still visible on the radar screen, the controller asked other aircraft around QZ-8501 to relay, but neither aircraft received a response from QZ-8501. There were seven aircraft passing through the area at that time at flight levels between 290 and 380, neither of them encountered any difficulties. The radar target of QZ-8501 disappeared from radar screen at 06:18L.
AirNav Indonesia Radar screen shot:
Chart showing 20 Knot tailwind
