Tail of crashed jet recovered without the black box

Wreckage find: Part of the plane’s tail is seen floating on the water’s surface as Indonesian Navy divers conduct a search for the flight recorders in the Java sea, off Kalimantan, Indonesia. — EPA

ABOARD KRI BANDA ACEH (Indonesia): The tail of an AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea was lifted to the surface using floating balloons, but apparently without the crucial black box recorders, Indonesian authorities said.

The Airbus jet, carrying 162 people, went down in stormy weather on Dec 28 as it flew from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. All aboard died.