effort after an request from the indonesia government. u.s. defense officials said today the u.s.s. samson a destroyer currently in the south china sea will be headed to the search zone. the vast majority and six of the seven crew members are from indonesia. according to the state department, no americans were on board. pilots from the aircraft seating up to 180 passengers had requested it deviate from their flight path less than an hour into the two-hour flight and rise to a higher altitude. they lost contact with air traffic control and dropped off radar shortly after making that request. air traffic controllers reportedly turned down the pilot s request to climb above the clouds because six other airliners withere crowding the air space and there was no room.