The newspaper Kompas in Indonesia quoted Mr. Djoko as saying that the plane’s request to divert from its flight path had been approved but that air traffic controllers had denied the request to ascend to 38,000 feet “because of traffic.” He did not elaborate.

Mr. Djoko said the authorities had not detected any emergency distress beacons that would normally be triggered by an accident.

Earth Networks, a company that tracks weather conditions across the globe, said it recorded a number of lightning strikes “near the path” of Flight 8501 on Sunday morning. While it is rare for a lightning strike to cause serious structural damage that threatens the safety of an aircraft, it can disrupt navigation systems, such as magnetic compasses. A lightning flash, particularly at night, can also momentarily disorient the pilots.

The turbulence associated with a big storm can sometimes be severe, and sudden shifts in wind direction could disrupt the airflow through a jet engine, potentially causing it to shut down. However, a shutdown of both engines in such a situation would be highly unlikely, and the Airbus A320 is certified to fly up to three hours on a single engine, in compliance with global aviation safety regulations.

AirAsia’s chief executive, Tony Fernandes, said Sunday in a Twitter message that he was traveling to Surabaya, where most of the plane’s 155 passengers were from. On Monday, Mr. Fernandes, who is Malaysian, wrote: “Keeping positive and staying strong. My heart bleeds for all the relatives of my crew and our passangers.”