QZ8501: Black boxes located

Indonesian officials have confirmed that the black boxes from flight Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 have been positively located but could not be retrieved as they are buried under some wreckage.

Searchers also say they have located the main body of the aircraft but this is not confirmed as yet.

Flight QZ8501 disappeared two weeks ago with 162 passengers and crew aboard.

Recovery teams hoisted the aircraft’s tail and some fuselage panels aboard a sea going tug on Saturday. 

The two black boxes will give the cockpit conversation for the entire flight as well as at least 88 aircraft flight, engine, systems and senor parameters.

Flight QZ8501 vanished on December 28 on a flight from Surabaya to Singapore.

The crew asked air traffic control for permission to climb and deviate left of the flight path to avoid thunderstorm but before permission was granted contact was lost with the aircraft.

So far  48 bodies have been recovered with bad weather playing havoc with search efforts.