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The Tragic Story of AirAsia Flight 8501
In the early hours of December 28, 2014, AirAsia Flight 8501, an Airbus A320, took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, Indonesia, en route to Singapore’s Changi Airport. Onboard were 162 people, including 156 passengers and 6 crew members, predominantly Indonesian, but also comprising three South Koreans, a Malaysian, a Singaporean, and a British national. The experienced captain, Irianto, aged 53, alongside first officer Remy Emmanuel Plessell, aged 46, was prepared to navigate what appeared to be a routine flight. However, as events unfolded, the tragedy that occurred would raise deep concerns about pilot training, human error, and the increasing reliance on automation in modern aviation.