Updated

Several pieces of debris have been spotted floating in the sea off Borneo island, possibly linked to the missing AirAsia jetliner, an Indonesia National Search and Rescue spokesman said Tuesday.

Yusuf Latif said an Indonesian military aircraft saw white, red and black objects, including what appears to be a life jacket, off the coast, about 105 miles (170 kilometers) south of Pangkalan Bun.

He said the agency has dispatched at least one helicopter to pick up at least 10 pieces of debris to be checked. The items will be taken to the search and rescue coordination post on Belitung Island.

"This is the most significant finding, but we cannot confirm anything until the investigation is completed," he said.

The plane with 162 people on board disappeared Sunday on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore after encountering storm clouds.

A massive international search effort has been launched, but so far nothing has been found to indicate where the missing plane might have gone.

Flight 8501 disappeared from radar over the Java Sea near Belitung island.