Chinese Passenger Plane Crash Investigation Continues into Third Year
Two years ago, a Chinese passenger plane crashed, killing all 132 people on board, in one of the deadliest Chinese plane crashes. To this day, relevant authorities say the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China released a progress report on Wednesday regarding the investigation into the crash of China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 in March 2022. The investigation has now entered its third year, with no clear timeline on when an official conclusion will be reached.
The plane took off from Kunming, a city in southwestern China, and was destined for the southeastern city of Guangzhou. It suddenly descended almost straight while cruising at high altitude, ultimately crashing into a mountainous area at high speed. Despite the rapid descent, the aircraft did not make any warnings or contact air traffic control. A total of 123 passengers and nine crew members lost their lives in the crash.
The investigation progress report did not mention any data extracted from the black boxes, which were found shortly after the crash and sent to the United States for analysis. According to the Wall Street Journal’s report in 2022, preliminary assessments indicated that someone deliberately entered control instructions, causing the fatal dive.
The investigation report highlighted that the China Eastern Airlines crew and ground crew involved in the flight met all technical qualifications and health requirements. The report also stated that there were no faults or anomalies in the aircraft systems, fuselage structures, or engines before takeoff.
Furthermore, there were no hazardous weather conditions reported in the airspace or route flight levels during the incident, nor was there evidence of dangerous goods on board. The Civil Aviation Administration’s notice emphasized that the technical investigation team would continue with experimental verification and cause analysis.
The crash marks the largest number of fatalities in a Chinese air accident since 1994, presenting challenges to China’s aviation industry known for its safety. China Eastern Airlines mentioned that the crash ended their 18-year streak of safe flights and was the first fatal passenger plane crash in China since 2010.
The model of the crashed plane was a Boeing 737-800, known for its good safety record. The incident comes in the wake of another Boeing model, the 737 MAX, being grounded in China for nearly four years following fatal crashes in the Java Sea and Ethiopia.