Michael Bachelard Google+
Michael Bachelard is Fairfax Media's Indonesia correspondent. A former political reporter and workplace relations writer, he was awarded a Jefferson Fellowship in journalism in 2005. He is the author of Behind The Exclusive Brethren.
AirAsia flight QZ8501: faces from a lost flight
Michael Bachelard, Pangkalanbun, and Matt O'Sullivan The only job of QZ8501 trainee flight attendant Khairunisa Haidar Fauzi was to make her customers feel calm, comfortable and pampered.
AirAsia flight QZ8501: 30 bodies recovered after six days of searching
![Search and rescue workers carry the body of a victim of the AirAsia flight in Pangkalanbun.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2015/01/02/6133503/Thumbnail6461134112gul3image.related.thumbnail.320x214.12gufh.png1420222075067.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard Rescue officials have recovered 30 bodies, some still strapped to their seats, by the sixth day of search operations for the missing Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501.
AirAsia flight QZ8501: First victim positively identified as Surabaya teacher
![The grave marker of Hayati Lutfiah Hamid, the first crash victim to have a funeral.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2015/01/02/6132957/Thumbnail6460311712gpesimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12go31.png1420142627679.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard Disaster Victim Identification crews have positively identified victim 001 of AirAsia’s crashed flight QZ8501.
AirAsia flight's behaviour 'on the edge of logic'
![Indonesian soldiers carry coffins containing victims of the AirAsia crash at the Indonesian Air Force Military Base, Surabaya.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2015/01/01/6132097/Thumbnail6459815812gaq6image.related.thumbnail.320x214.12gk9a.png1420150622648.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard The AirAsia jet in which 162 people lost their lives this week behaved in ways “bordering on the edge of logic” according to Indonesian aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman citing leaked...
Divers prepare to enter wreck of AirAsia QZ8501
![Indonesian women pray for the victims of the AirAsia tragedy at Pangkalanbun.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2015/01/01/6131425/Thumbnail6459097212gf8eimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12gepo.png1420148664076.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard Search and rescue crews hope to take their first look at the fuselage of downed AirAsia jet QZ8501 early on New Year's Day as weather has eased enough to allow divers to swim down to the wreck site.
AirAsia Flight QZ8501: The world's focus turns to the ordinary travellers on board doomed flight
![The first two bodies recovered from the doomed flight, carried in coffins labelled as 001 and 002.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/31/6130661/Thumbnail6458400012g8lpimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12g9c0.png1420064758134.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard When they went aloft in AirAsia’s flight QZ8501 early on Sunday morning, they were ordinary, unremarkable people.
AirAsia Flight QZ8501: Bodies recovered as bad weather hampers search
![The first two bodies recovered from the AirAsia crash arrive at a military airport in Surabaya.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/31/6130492/Thumbnail6457173112g8lpimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12fzv7.png1420078919910.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard Two bodies of the seven so far recovered from the crashed AirAsia flight have arrived at the military airport of Surabaya on Wednesday afternoon.
AirAsia wreckage confirms the worst for victims' families
![Killed in the crash: Herumanto Tanus (second from left) with his wife and two sons.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/31/6128519/Thumbnail6456180312fs7nimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12fs7f.png1419950322423.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard A man who lost seven members of his family in the AirAsia tragedy says confirmation that flight QZ8501 had crashed had at least given them some certainty.
AirAsia flight QZ8501: 'Unique weather' may have caused plane crash, says CEO
![](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/31/6128516/Thumbnail6456168012fs4himage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12fs40.png1419985360953.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard AirAsia CEO says the plane crash that killed 155 passengers and seven crew can be blamed squarely on bad weather.
Missing AirAsia flight: wrap
Michael Bachelard Hopes of locating the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 were raised when debris was spotted by an aircraft on Tuesday afternoon.
Debris is from missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, Indonesia confirms
![An image of possible debris related to the missing AirAsia plane QZ8501, taken from a television screengrab and posted to Twitter by Singapore's The Straits Times (@STcom).](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/30/6127922/Thumbnail6455656512fo9uimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12fo5x.png1419920203493.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard The mystery of AirAsia flight QZ8501 has been solved with the news from Indonesian authorities that the wreckage of the plane has been found in shallow water, and all 162 passengers are presumed dead.
No sign of missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 as search area expands
![Distressed family members of passengers onboard the missing flight pray together.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/30/6127438/Thumbnail6455161112fkd5image.related.thumbnail.320x214.12fkcb.png1419920028342.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard Every lead in the search for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 has been ruled out so far as Indonesian authorities virtually doubled the search area on Tuesday morning.
Indonesia delays executions as search continues for AirAsia plane
![Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are on death row in Kerobokan Prison.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/30/6127182/Thumbnail6454520412a8ubimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12ffec.png1419903565615.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard With the eyes of the world watching Indonesia during the search for the missing AirAsia plane, the country's Attorney-General has quietly delayed plans to execute five or six prisoners before New...
AirAsia flight QZ8501: final communications from pilot of missing plane revealed
![Iriyanto, captain of the missing AirAsia flight:](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/30/6126371/Thumbnail6453831912f5iyimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12fa33.png1419901551806.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard The final communications between the pilot of ill-fated flight QZ8501 and air traffic control have been revealed as Indonesian naval vessels moved late last night to check new reports of an oil slick...
Missing AirAsia flight presumed crashed as hopes fade of finding survivors
![Relatives of missing AirAsia passengers.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/29/6125909/Thumbnail6453072412f2g5image.related.thumbnail.320x214.12f484.png1419855002323.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard Australia has joined the search and rescue mission for missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, with hopes of finding any of the 162 on board alive fading rapidly
AirAsia Flight QZ8501: Search for missing plane resumes
![A crew of an Indonesian Air Force C-130 airplane of the 31st Air Squadron scans the horizon during a search operation for the missing AirAsia flight 8501 jetliner over the waters of Karimata Strait in Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 29, 2014. Search planes and ships from several countries on Monday were scouring Indonesian waters over which an AirAsia jet disappeared, more than a day into the region's latest aviation mystery. AirAsia Flight 8501 vanished Sunday in airspace thick with storm clouds on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/30/6126295/1-20141230001259677999-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard The search for missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 began at 6am local time as rescuers hope for better weather than yesterday.
Family's lucky escape from doomed AirAsia flight QZ 8501
![Lucky escape: Christianawati, her husband Ari Putro Cahyono and their extended family after missing flight QZ8501.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/29/6124280/Thumbnail6451566812esmdimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12eslw.png1419818147651.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard AS Christianawati raced late into Surabaya airport to catch her flight on Sunday morning, she felt like the unluckiest woman in the world.
AirAsia flight from Indonesia to Singapore loses contact
![Family members of passengers on board AirAsia flight QZ 8501 talk on their phones while waiting for information inside a crisis centre at Juanda Airport in Surabaya](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/29/6124275/Thumbnail6450719312erwsimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12em2h.png1419763731491.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard A search and rescue operation is underway after AirAsia flight QZ 8501 from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore with 162 people onboard lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday.
Tsunami left lasting sorrow in Indonesia's Aceh
![A view of tsunami park is seen uncared in Lhoknga, Aceh Besar district, Aceh Province, on November 26, 2014.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/26/6121403/rw-tsunami-th-20141226194431910914-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard The tsunami hit Aceh harder than anywhere else in the world, and a decade later the sorrow is still raw although many in the religious province believe that sin brought the disaster down on their...
Indonesian cleaners found guilty of raping children at Jakarta school
![The Jakarta International School in Indonesia.](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://images.smh.com.au/2014/12/22/6113952/Thumbnail64404129zrxysimage.related.thumbnail.320x214.12cejl.png1419274423585.jpg-90x60.jpg)
Michael Bachelard Indonesian cleaners accused of raping three children at the exclusive Jakarta Intercultural School have been found guilty and sentenced to seven- and eight-year prison sentences.