Plane’s descent speed over 500kph, data shows

Ernest appeal: A student holding up a placard calling for social media users to refrain from spreading graphic images of Lion Air flight JT 610’s victims, as schoolchildren attend a prayer gathering in Surabaya. — AFP

Jakarta: The Indonesian airliner that crashed in waters near Jakarta was plunging at hundreds of kilometres an hour in its final seconds, according to preliminary data transmitted by the plane that could aid investigators looking for a cause.

Lion Air Flight JT610, a nearly new Boeing 737 Max jet, went down from 1,479m at altitude in just 21 seconds, according to data compiled by FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking system.