Remembering Lion Air Flight 610

LION AIR BOEING 737-8GP PK-LQV (MSN 39861)

Lion Air Flight 610 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK/WIII), Indonesia to Pangkal Pinang Airport (PGK/WIKK), Indonesia

On the 29th of October 2018, the Boeing 737 MAX operating the route crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 passengers and crew. It was the first major accident involving the new Boeing 737 MAX series of aircraft, introduced in 2017, and the highest death toll of any accident or incident involving the entire Boeing 737 series, Original, Classic, Next Generation or MAX, surpassing Air India Express Flight 812 in 2010. It was the deadliest accident in Lion Air's history, surpassing the 2004 Lion Air Flight 538 that killed 25, and the second deadliest aircraft accident in Indonesia behind Garuda Indonesia Flight 152.

The aircraft departed at 6:20 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive at Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang at 7:20 a.m. It took off in a westward direction before circling around to a northeast heading, which it held until crashing offshore northeast of Jakarta in waters estimated to be up to 35 m (115 ft) deep. The flight crew had requested clearance to return to the Jakarta airport 35 km (19 nautical miles) into the flight. The accident site was located 34 km (18 nautical miles) off the coast of the island of Java.

Communication between air traffic control (ATC) and Flight 610 was suddenly lost at 6:33 a.m. ATC informed the National Search and Rescue Agency, which deployed three ships and a helicopter to the area. At 7:30 a.m., the agency received reports that Flight 610 had crashed a few kilometres from an offshore oil platform. Workers on the platform reportedly saw the aircraft crash with a steep nose-down angle. Boats from the platform were immediately deployed and debris from the crashed aircraft was found shortly after.

The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registration PK-LQP, serial number 43000, line number 7058, powered by two CFM International LEAP - 1B25 engines. The aircraft was leased from China Minsheng Investment Group (CMIG) Aviation Capital. It made its first flight on the 30th of July 2018 and was delivered new to Lion Air on the 13th of August 2018. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was only three months old had flown around 800 hours in service.  

THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS THINGING ABOUT THEIR LOVED ONES TODAY.