The San Diego-based littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth arrived off the Indonesian coast Saturday to join in the recovery effort for the AirAsia passenger jet that went missing last week.
The Fort Worth joined another San Diego-based Navy ship, USS Sampson, which was sent to help look for the Airbus A-320 on Monday.
AirAsia flight 8501 was carrying 162 people when it disappeared from radar screens shortly after the pilot requested an altitude change because of the weather conditions, according to news reports. The aircraft was a little over 40 minutes into a flight to Singapore from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city.
As of Friday, 30 bodies had been pulled from the Java Sea. Four large objects were spotted on the ocean floor, including one that was believed to be a part of the jet’s fuselage, according to reports.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of those affected by this terrible tragedy,” Cmdr. Kendall Bridgewater, USS Fort Worth’s commanding officer, said. “Having just left Jakarta, Indonesia last week, the USS Fort Worth will assist the Indonesian government in any way possible.”
The 387-foot Fort Worth departed San Diego on Nov. 17 for its first deployment, a 16-month assignment in Southeast Asia. At the time, Navy officials said the maiden deployment would include the first use of a drone helicopter aboard a deployed littoral combat ship. The Navy’s littoral combat ships are a new class of fast and maneuverable vessels designed for fighting in coastal waters.
The 509-foot Sampson, which left San Diego Oct. 31 on an independent deployment, is a destroyer carrying a detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35, based at Naval Air Station North Island. The Sampson’s crew recovered 12 bodies Thursday and Friday, which were transferred to Indonesian authorities at Iskander Air Base in Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia, according to the Navy.
Navy officials said both the Fort Worth and the Sampson would remain in the area as long as their assistance in the Indonesian-led multinational search effort was helpful.
—City News Service
