(VOVworld) – The search for Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501 in the Java Sea was delayed Tuesday due to bad weather and high waves of up to 3 meters.  Debris from the missing aircraft was found after three days of intense searching but only three bodies have been retrieved.

A Republic of Singapore Air Force personnel surveys the waters during a search and locate operation for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 plane (Photo: redff.com)

Many countries have deployed additional ships and aircraft to support Indonesia’s search for the missing flight. The US Navy plans to send combat ships to help investigate and search for wreckage of the missing jet. The US Navy destroyer USS Sampson and Singapore naval vessel MV Swift Rescue have departed to assist in search operations. Malaysia and Australia also pledged to contribute to the search for victims’ bodies. Indonesia AirAsia invited relatives of passengers who were aboard flight QZ8501 to the Indonesian city of Surabaya to assist in the identification of bodies.

Only three bodies have been retrieved (Photo: redff.com)

AirAsia Flight QZ8501, carrying 162 people passengers and crew, sent no distress signal before it vanished from radar early Sunday. Contact was lost about 42 minutes after the plane took off from Surabaya airport in Indonesia en route to Singapore.