AirAsia flight QZ8501 'might have stalled' mid-climb

Geoffrey Thomas, editor of AirlineRatings.com, has told the BBC that the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 may "have been caught in a severe thunderstorm updraft".

This could have led to an "aerodynamic stall of the wing" resulting in a severe upset to the aircraft, Mr Thomas explained.

The hypothesis was extrapolated from radar data that showed the plane's speed decreasing while it climbed in altitude.