Lion Air flight from Jakarta to Sumatra missing with 188 aboard

Oct. 29, 2018 / 2:56 AM GMT / Updated 3:34 AM GMT

By Alex Johnson

An Indonesian Lion Air Boeing 737 carrying 188 passengers and crew crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff Monday morning, authorities said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

The national news agency, Antara, said Flight JT610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was reported missing 13 minutes after it took off at 6:20 a.m. (7:20 p.m. ET Sunday) for Pangkal Pinang, the capital of the Sumatran island Bangka-Belitung in the Java Sea. It was carrying 178 adult passengers, three infants and seven crew members, including two pilots, Antara said.

Muhammad Syaugi, the head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, said at a news conference that divers were trying to locate the wreckage, according to The Associated Press. The national disaster agency distributed photos of a crushed smartphone, books, bags and parts of the aircraft’s fuselage that had been collected by search and rescue vessels.

Before authorities lost contact with the plane, it requested permission to return to the airport, Antara said.

A spokeswoman for CFM International, the manufacturer of the plane’s two LEAP-1B engines, confirmed to NBC News that the company had been notified that the plane was missing. She said the company had no further information.

Boeing Co. said it was aware of the reports. Lion Air Group said it had no immediate comment.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.