Free Republic

A Lion Air flight between Jakarta and an island off Sumatra has crashed, Indonesian search and rescue officials have said. A search and rescue effort has been launched after the passenger jet lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff on Monday morning. The Boeing 737-800 left the Indonesian capital at 6.20am and was headed north to arrive in Pangkal Pinang, on the island of Bangka, at

An Indonesian airliner has crashed into the sea with 189 people on board. The Boeing 737, owned by the low-cost airline Lion Air, went down after taking off from the capital Jakarta. Flight JT 610 was headed for the western city of Pangkal Pinang. Rescuers have recovered some bodies and personal items, including baby shoes. There is no sign of survivors. The cause of the crash, which involved a plane that had been in operation since August, remains unclear. The incident is reported to be the first major accident involving a Boeing 737 Max - an updated version of the...