AirAsia QZ8501: 'Pings' detected in plane search

Abrupt high-pitched pinging sounds have been detected in the Java Sea which could have come from the "black box" flight recorders of the AirAsia flight. 

The commander of the Indonesian armed forces, Gen Moeldoko, says divers have been sent to investigate. 

The pings were heard near where the plane's tail was found. 

Officials say the black box could have been separated from the rear part of the plane. 

Flight QZ8501 disappeared from radar on 28 December with 162 people on board. 

No survivors have been found from the Airbus A320-200, which was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore. 

Black boxes are designed to survive a crash and be submerged in water. 

They contain underwater locator beacons which emit the so-called "pings" for at least 30 days. 

The "black box" flight data recorders are usually housed inside the rear part of the plane. 

Finding them has been one of the top priorities for search teams as they provide crucial clues from the last moments of the flight before it came down.

BBC