Official: Missing Indonesian Jet Not Found

Relatives waiting for news about a missing jetliner broke down in tears after learning Tuesday that senior Indonesian officials erroneously reported the Boeing 737's charred wreckage had been found and that a dozen people may have survived.

"Oh, what is happening to us?" wailed Dorce Sundalangi, whose daughter was on the flight, after hearing the report was based on rumors from villagers that trickled up to the highest levels of government.

"They had given us hope of seeing our beloved relatives ... but it was false hope."

The Adam Air plane carrying 102 people sent out two distress signals in stormy weather Monday halfway through its two-hour journey from Indonesia's main island of Java to Manado, on the northern tip of Sulawesi, one of the largest islands in the sprawling archipelago.

Rescue and search teams hiked through heavy rain and slippery forest paths for more than 10 hours Tuesday but found nothing, calling off their search along Sulawesi's mountainous western coast as darkness fell and vowing to set off again at dawn Wednesday.

Bambang Karnoyudho, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, said the search would be expanded to include the nearby Makassar Strait.

The announcement capped a day of hope and anguish for relatives of those on Flight KI-574.

Police Chief Col. Genot Hariyanto earlier said rescue teams had arrived at the crash site. Setyo Raharjo, head of the National Commission on Transportation Safety, said 90 bodies were found near the wreckage, and the search for the other 12 was continuing.

The claims were repeated by everyone from the chief of Adam Air — who extrapolated to say that a dozen people survived — to senior aviation officials, and high-ranking military officials and police.

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A good point in case regarding the press reporting hearsay evidence is when Julia Lews of WRAL TV5 Raleigh NC reported that the accuser of the Duke LaCross rape case gave birth, when in fact she did not and was only at the hospital for a checkup

[random_radar]

If press reports are premature, people complain that it's a screw up. If press reports are withheld until the information is certain, people complain that it's a cover up. You can't please everyone.

[oleander8]

To danimal_50

The problem is, the press doesn't "dig as deep and as far as humanly possible to get the full and complete story always" - they publish rumour and hearsay...and usually have to go back and correct their stories. All the news agencies report from the same wire reports because it is cheaper than having their own reporters. It wasn't always like this.

[vancouverboo]

Lighten up, jet.

[danimal50]

I am not so sure it is the press at fault here for reporting the wreckage of the plane had been found.

The article says, "Earlier aviation officials, the military and police reported 90 bodies were scattered at the crash site, and that a dozen people may have survived."

So, if you have aviation officials, the military and police all saying the plane wreckage has been found ---and not only that, but also giving estimates of casualities and survivors at the scene, it would seem reasonable to conclude and report the wreckage was indeed found.

I for one would never want the press to back-off as suggested in a previous post. I want the press to dig as deep and as far as humanly possible to get the full and complete story always.

[jetlizhan]

It always amazes me of how royally the press screws up - just to get the 'first' story in. Twelve survivors? Look at the torment all their loved ones are going through, hoping and praying their family member just might be one of the survivors. And now they haven't even found the plane? God help those survivors (if any) and their families. The press - BACK OFF!!!!!!!!!