[1] The presence of these islands and reefs reduce the width of the main navigable channel to about 45 nautical miles (52 mi; 83 km).

The northwest monsoon comes from the beginning of October, characterized by thunderstorms, rain and squalls alternating with calm days with fair weather.

[12] A 2007–2008 study by a group of Indonesian and Chinese researchers found that the transport volume averaged 500,000 m3/second (or 0.5 Sv) with a net southward direction (i.e. to the Java Sea).

[14] A report by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then a British officer in Malacca, recommended taking the Karimata route, which he considered "less dangerous than tedious" than the northeast passage during that time of year.

[15] The British Governor-General of India The Lord Minto decided to take Raffles's suggestion over the objection of some naval officers.

[16] The fleet, numbering about 100 vessels and transporting about 11,000 troops, departed Malacca between 11 and 18 June 1811,[17] and reached the coast of Java on 30 July after a smooth journey, exactly six weeks after Minto and Raffles' departure.

All 162 passengers and crew aboard the plane perished, however, only 116 were physically recovered by the time search-and-rescue operations concluded in March 2015.