Indonesia: Tail of AirAsia plane found

A crew member of an Indonesian Air Force NAS 332 Super Puma helicopter looks out of the window during a search operation for the victims of AirAsia QZ 8501 over the Java Sea off Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2015. [Xinhua/Pool/Achmad Ibrahim] 

Indonesian search and rescue teams have discovered and located the tail for AirAsia plane which crashed into the Java Sea on Dec. 28 with 162 people on board,  agency chief Bambang Soelistyo told a press conference on Wednesday.

"We have found the tail that has been our main target today," said Soelistyo. "The tail part has been found and confirmed at a position in our second priority sector."

The discovery on the seabed is considered as a major breakthrough in the search as the tail usually houses the black boxes -- the flight data and voice recorders, crucial to identify the cause of a crash.

The official, on the same occasion, said recovering more bodies and spotting the black boxes are still the top priorities of the search and rescue operation.

One more body was recovered Wednesday, bringing the total to 40.

Five large parts believed to be from the jet have also been detected as the search operation is hindered by unfavorable sea conditions.

Indonesia's meteorological agency said earlier that the weather was the "triggering factor" in the crash of the plane as icing might have damaged the engine.

The AirAsia flight QZ8501 plunged into the Java Sea 10 days ago en route from Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya to Singapore. No survivors have been found.

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