Divers and an unmanned underwater vehicle have spotted the tail of the AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea, the first confirmed sighting of any major wreckage 10 days after Flight QZ8501 went down with 162 people on board, an official said.

Powerful currents and murky water were hindering the operation, but searchers managed to get a photograph of the debris about 9 kilometers from where the plane lost contact. The debris was detected by an Indonesian survey ship, according to National Search and Rescue chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo.

One released image appeared to show an upside-down "A" paintedona piece of metal, while another grainy shot showed what appeared to be mechanical parts.