Lion Air Flight 610 facts for kids

Lion Air Flight 610 was a flight operated by Lion Air, an airline in Indonesia. On October 29, 2018, this plane crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. It was on its way to Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang.

There were 189 people on board the aircraft. This included 181 passengers (178 adults and three children), six flight attendants, and two pilots. Sadly, no one survived the crash.

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  The Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8, similar to the one that crashed.

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  The planned route of Lion Air Flight 610.

What Happened to Flight 610?

The plane, a new Boeing 737 MAX 8, took off from Jakarta at 6:20 AM local time. Just a few minutes later, the pilots asked to return to the airport. However, the plane soon lost contact with air traffic control.

The aircraft then crashed into the Java Sea. The crash happened about 13 minutes after takeoff. Wreckage from the plane was found in the water.

The Search and Rescue Effort

Soon after the crash, a large search and rescue operation began. Many ships and helicopters were involved. They searched for the plane's wreckage and the people on board.

Divers found parts of the plane on the seabed. They also found the flight recorders, often called "black boxes." These boxes record important information about the flight and the cockpit conversations. They are very helpful for understanding why crashes happen.

Why Did the Plane Crash?

Investigators worked hard to find out what caused the crash. They looked at the plane's maintenance records and the data from the black boxes. They found several things that contributed to the accident.

Issues with the Plane's System

One major issue was with a new flight control system on the Boeing 737 MAX planes. This system was called MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System). It was designed to help the plane fly smoothly.

However, a sensor on the plane was giving incorrect information. This caused the MCAS system to push the plane's nose down repeatedly. The pilots tried to correct this, but they were not able to regain full control.

Maintenance Problems

Investigators also found that the plane had some maintenance problems before the crash. There were issues with the plane's airspeed indicator on previous flights. These problems were not fully fixed.

The combination of the faulty sensor, the MCAS system's actions, and the earlier maintenance issues led to the tragic accident. This crash, and another one involving a Boeing 737 MAX a few months later, led to changes in how these planes were designed and checked for safety.

Safety Changes After the Crash

After the Lion Air Flight 610 crash, and another similar crash, all Boeing 737 MAX planes around the world were grounded. This meant they were not allowed to fly. Boeing worked to update the MCAS software and improve pilot training.

These changes were made to make sure such an accident would not happen again. The goal was to improve aviation safety for everyone.

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