2nd LD Writethru: Co-pilot flying AirAsia flight before crash

The French co-pilot was flying the AirAsia flight before it crashed into Indonesia's waters last month, investigators said here on Thursday.

Head of the investigators from the National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) Mardjono Siswosuwarno said "The second-in-command or known as co-pilot, who usually sits to the right (of the cockpit). At the time, he was flying the plane. While the captain, sitting to the left, was the pilot monitoring".

Addressing a press conference at the office of the committee, Mardjono said that both the flight data recorder and the voice cockpit recorder indicated that the passenger plane with flight number QZ8501 was flying within the limits of its weight and balance envelope before the crash.

"The plane was on sound condition for flight before the accident, and was flying within the limits of weight and balance envelope. All crews had valid licenses and medical certificates," said Mardjono.

The flight vanished from radar screens on Dec. 28 en route from Indonesia's second biggest city Surabaya to Singapore. All 162 people aboard were killed.

On the same occasion, Tatang Kurniadi, head of KNKT, said that Indonesia submitted the preliminary report on the crash of the plane to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Wednesday.

Indonesia said there were dozens of victims still unaccounted for and search for them resumed on Wednesday.

Commander of the Indonesian National Armed forces General Moeldoko said on Thursday that he had withdrew navy divers involved in the search operation but the military would send again divers when they are needed. So far, as many as 70 bodies have been discovered from the Java Sea. Endi