A Boeing 737 jet crashed into a hillside in Southern China on March 21, killing 132 people on board. On March 1, an investigation report on the fatal Model Y crash in Chaozhou, eastern Guangdong province, was released. The reason the passenger plane plunged out of the sky is still unknown. The CAAC published a preliminary report on April 20, 30 days after the accident. The plane stopped transmitting data 96 seconds after it started to fall. More broadly, China and the USA have for several years been fighting a trade war and battling over industrial intellectual property, fallout from which already landed on Boeings 737 Max. In each case, flight-control software pushed the nose down shortly after takeoff, and pilots could not regain control. The officials who spoke to ABC News point to the plane's flaps not being engaged and landing gear not put down. It simply nosed over and came down damn near vertically, says Goglia. Since then, the airline's safety record has drastically. China Eastern has also returned the type to service after a one-month grounding. Flight data indicates a China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed in March was intentionally put into a nose-dive, according to US media reports. The crash caused a fire on the mountains, and the jet involved in the accident was a Boeing 737 aircraft. The FAA did not ground the planes. Brutal gym attack with 20kg weight caught on CCTV, Ash Barty explains why shes bowing out at the top of the tennis world, Jelena Dokic wows in new campaign for iconic Australian fashion brand, Mazda's largest SUV here in August with hybrid-beating efficiency, Aussie pub trivia question leaves internet stumped, Aussie designer behind reversible swimwear collection launches unique activewear to glowing reviews, Aussie drivers new number plate sparks outraged response: Nonsense, Woolies recalls popular meat over contamination fears in one state, Flight MU5735 was at 8800 metres on Monday afternoon. The steepness of the slope made the positioning of heavy equipment difficult. [26][27] All were Chinese.[28]. Some frames of that grainy video appear to show parts of the airplane being shed in the dive. [55], Mao Yanfeng, head of aircraft investigation at the CAAC, stated the flight had not encountered dangerous weather conditions. Watch the video above for more on the aftermath of the crash, For more Travel related news and videos check out 7Travel >>. China Eastern flight 5735 crashed outside the city of Wuzhou in the Guangxi region while flying from Kunming, the capital of the south-western province of Yunnan, to Guangzhou, an industrial centre not far from Hong Kong on China's south-eastern coast. The project aims to modernise instrument arrival and departure procedures by adapting them to area navigation and performance-based navigation requirements. However, investigators have not verified the ADS-B data. All rights reserved. Confirming the cause of a plane crash sometimes takes months or years due to the need to gather badly damaged debris. [54] Concurrently, on April 1, a team of NTSB investigators left the United States for China. This website uses cookies to improve your experience and for ads personalisation. Suddenly, about 1h after taking off, it dived steeply, at one point descending at more than 30,000ft per minute, according to publicly available ADS-B data from aircraft tracking site Flightradar24.com. Boeing, however, has long since addressed that problem, without any further incidents. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. [5], The aircraft departed Kunming Changshui International Airport for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 13:15 CST (05:15 UTC)[5] and was scheduled to land at 15:05 (07:05 UTC). Questions have mounted over the cause of the crash, which saw the stricken jet drop 20,000 feet (6,096 metres) in just over a minute before plunging into rugged terrain in southern China on Monday . Commentary: Chinese Spy Balloon Hysteria or Not? Rescue personnel at the crash site of flightMU5735. The CAACs initial accident report says air traffic controllers tried to call the 737s pilots during the descent but received no response. . Continental Details Engines Woes, and Its Not Just Cirrus Planes. What will it take to Decarbonise Aviation? BEIJING (AP) The crash of a Boeing 737-800 passenger jet in China's southwest started a fire big enough to be seen from space and forced rescuers to search a rugged, remote mountainside. It is the deadliest accident involving a CRJ100/200 series, and was the deadliest in China Eastern Airlines' history at that time until the crash of Flight 5735 on 21 March 2022, which killed 132 crew and passengers. [12][13][14], Residents of the villages surrounding the crash site heard a loud explosion[15] and the final descent and crash was filmed by a security camera at the premises of a local mining company. They cited ICAO guidelines that assign the country in which the crash occurred with responsibility for releasing information. The Boeing 737-800 passenger jet was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou on March 21 when it plunged into a mountainous area in Guangxi, China, killing all 132 . Taken together, these findings suggest one of the pilots of the plane may have caused the nosedive, or someone broke into the cockpit and did so, though official pronouncements about the investigation have stressed that the investigation is still under way. Both aircraft recorders were severely damaged and were sent to Washington for further investigation. Pieces of the crashed plane's wreckage found at the crash site in Tengxian County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang. The Chinese passenger plane crashed in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 21, killing all 132 people on board including the nine crew members. Flight tracking data, moreover, showed the plane leveled off briefly before again diving sharply until it impacted terrain at very high speed, all of which are consistent with human action and possible a fight for control of the plane between two people. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. 4 engine, while cruising at 41,000 ft (12,500 m). But just over an hour into its journey, China Eastern Flight MU5735 pitched over into a sudden near-vertical dive. Flight data from the doomed plane suggests someone in the cockpit pushed the Boeing 737-800 into a near-vertical descent while cruising at a high altitude in late March, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with US officials preliminary assessment. Heavy rain partially filled the impact crater with water which had to be pumped away. Flight data indicates the China Eastern Airlines nose dive on March 21 may have been intentional. The cause of the March 22, 2022, crash, has yet to be officially determined. But the details available even before the Journals report had already given rise to pilot suicide as a leading theory among accident analysts not involved in the investigation. Investigators have so far not found any. The Wall Street Journal is reporting an update regarding the crash of China Eastern flight MU5735, which was scheduled to operate from Kunming (KMG) to Guangzhou (CAN). Hong Kong CNN Black box data recovered from a China Eastern flight that crashed in March suggests someone in the cockpit intentionally downed the plane, the Wall Street Journal reported,. Shell Aviation: What will it take to Decarbonise Aviation? That kind of vertical dive, without a radio call of any kind from the flightcrew, could clearly indicate a human activity to make that happen, says aviation safety consultant and former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member John Goglia. At 15:56, firefighters from nearby Tangbu arrived, and at 16:40, firefighters from outside Wuzhou were dispatched from Guilin, Beihai, Hezhou, Laibin and Hechi. B-1791, the aircraft involved in the accident, in 2018, Aviation accidents and incidents in China, The aircraft's base model is the Boeing 737800. Investigators face a formidable challenge in figuring out why China Eastern Flight 5735 crashed on March 21. The pilot who was killed in a Nevada crash last week had long . Talking to ATC is about third on the list, he says. And while cockpit intrusion remains a possibility, pilot murder-suicide seems likelier, as ATC received no hijacking coded message from the crew, and the cockpit door, as is the case in the United States, is strongly secured. The accident happened on November 13 last year, leaving one dead. Ice accumulation on the wings caused the plane to lose its lift, causing the crash. China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight in China from Kunming to Guangzhou. The airline also pointed to a preliminary report from the Chinese government that said efforts to restore data and analyze the planes damaged black boxes were still ongoing, the newspaper reported. Claims 'human activity' caused Boeing 737 crash Prominent aviation expert Neil Hansford claims a technical fault would not have caused such a sudden and rapid descent for the China Eastern . China and Belarus called for a cease-fire and negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine as leaders of the two countries meet in Beijing to improve their relations. Enaire says the scheme known FlightGlobal is the global aviation communitys primary source of news, data, insight, knowledge and expertise. Flight data from the doomed . [5] It was painted in the airline's Yunnan Peacock livery. One of the black boxes has been found, local media reports. If I have a major flight-control problem, I am going to deal with that [first].. [5] It was first flown on 5 June 2015 and was delivered new to China Eastern Yunnan Airlines (subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines) on 25 June 2015. The flight recorder supports this theory, as it shows the controls being pushed forward to initiate a steep descent, close to a 90-degree descent angle. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. China Eastern Airlines has grounded all its 737-800s. The near-vertical descent of the plane, they believe, would've required intentional force. Boeing would clearly suffer if Mondays crash is attributed to a malfunction of the plane, but experts downplay the likelihood of a design flaw because 737-800s have been carrying passengers for nearly a quarter of a century with relatively few safety issues. We've received your submission. Local authorities dispatched 450 firefighters to the scene of the accident. They include the October 1999 crash into the Atlantic Ocean of EgyptAir flight 990, a 767-300ER that plummeted at a descent rate reaching 39,000ft per minute. All Rights Reserved [46] Boeing said that it was informed by initial reports and was gathering details. [5][10][11], Some information channels such as Kunming Changshui International Airport and Umetrip temporarily showed that flight had arrived due to not registering the flight's loss of contact. Three days after the China Eastern Airlines flight fell from the sky, there are more questions than answers. Mr Zhu said the severe damage to the aircraft, which was carrying 132 people, would make it difficult to establish why the plane fell 30,000 feet. It was operating a routine flight between Kunming and Guangzhou, the airline's hub near the southeastern border with Hong Kong. Investigators struggling to establish cause of China Eastern Airlines crash, Follow the action from the third Test between India and Australia in Delhi in our live blog, Follow the live scorebetween Parramatta and Melbourne as the new NRL season begins. [50][51] The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was retrieved on 26 March,[52] and on 27 March, the flight data recorder (FDR) was recovered. The plane slammed into the ground with such force that it created a 66-foot deep hole in the ground, according to Chinese officials. Spanish air navigation service Enaire has started implementing an air traffic optimisation project at Madrid Barajas airport, including independent approaches to its parallel runways. The incident occurred near Wuzhou in Teng County, Southern China, at about 2:20 pm, less than an hour before flight MU5735 was scheduled to arrive in Guangzhou. Still, data does suggest an extreme rate of descent and safety experts say only a handful of other crashes involved comparable descent rates, two of which resulted from deliberate pilot action. On 21 March 2022, the Boeing 737-89P aircraft operating the service descended steeply mid-flight and struck the ground at high speed in Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, killing all 123 passengers and 9 crew . Parts of the China Eastern jet that went down in the country's first commercial crash since 2010. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is in the midst of a three-day visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping . On Monday afternoon, the plane was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou when it lost contact around 2:15 p.m. and crashed in the city of Wuzhou around 2:30 p.m., the Civil Aviation Administration of. [73], In India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) placed all Boeing 737 aircraft flown by Indian carriers under "enhanced surveillance." [9] The aircraft crashed in the mountainous regions of Teng County causing a fire in nearby vegetation. Goglia notes that the China Eastern pilots made no contact with air traffic control. In mid April, China Eastern returned some 737-800s to service, data from flight tracking sites and Cirium shows. Given that the aircraft was produced by an American company, the National Transport Safety Board is involved in the investigation. [64][65], Chinese premier Li Keqiang called for comprehensive efforts to search for survivors and treat the injured, emphasizing the need to reassure and serve the families of the victims. In 2004, a buildup of ice on the wings of a China Eastern plane flying from Baotou in Inner Mongolia caused it to crash, killing 55. They have been involved in 22 accidents that damaged the planes beyond repair and killed 612 people. Of those, nearly 4,300 remain in service, according to Cirium. Authorities have yet to determine what caused China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 to crash with no apparent survivors. 2023 Madavor Media, LLC. This was especially so after security cam video of the plane in a steep nosedive emerged. The search goes on for clues from the crashed China Eastern Airlines jet. The crash occurred after a 25-minute flight that FlightAware, an air traffic database, tracked from the Grand Canyon near Kingman, Arizona, to the Boulder City airport. Cox also cites two similar 737 crashes caused by a rudder servo valve problem: USAir flight 427 (a 737-300) in 1994, and United Airlines flight 585 (a 737-200) in 1991. No distress call was received. Enaire says the scheme known FlightGlobal is the global aviation communitys primary source of news, data, insight, knowledge and expertise. Editor's Note: This story was updated to include an official statement from the NTSB. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. The steep, rough terrain and the huge size of the debris field were complicating the search for the black boxes thathold the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, CCTV and the official Xinhua News Agency said. On March 21, a Boeing 737-800 (MU5735) of China Eastern Airlines suddenly crashed at high speed at cruising altitude, killing all 132 people on board. Plane and Pilot expands upon the vast base of knowledge and experience from aviations most reputable influencers to inspire, educate, entertain and inform. The cause of the China Eastern 737-800 NG crash remains a mystery. That software is not on 737-800s. The plane did what it was told to do by someone in the cockpit, one individual told the Journal. On 21 March 2022, the Boeing 737-89P aircraft operating the service descended steeply mid-flight and struck the ground at high speed in Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, killing all 123 passengers and 9 crew members. File image. Moreover, the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC), which is leading the probe with US assistance, has yet to issue any safety directives regarding any issues with the 737-800. One. Based on the current information available, authorities do not have a clear assessment of the cause of Monday's crash, Zhu Tao the director of aviation safety at the Civil Aviation Administration of China told reporters at the first government briefing on the disaster. The crash killed all 132 people onboard while flight 5735 was flying between Kunming and Guangzhou. [45], American agencies responded as representatives of the country where the aircraft was manufactured. Graphic News Ltd 2023. Though disputed by Egypt, the NTSB concluded the first officer caused the crash by pushing the jet into a dive and cutting its engines. The driver survived with injuries and later gave an interview where he claimed he never touched an accelerator pedal during the incident.. Model Y driver said he wanted to brake and park the car, but the EV . The plane has been flying since 1998 and has an excellent safety record, said Hassan Shahidi, president of the Flight Safety Foundation. It crashed into the side of a mountain in a remote, forested area outside the city of Wuzhou. A video was released to the public on the day of the accident, showing the Boeing 737 aircraft involved entering a steep dive before slamming into a hilly area. [8] At 14:22 (06:22 UTC), while approaching its top of descent into Guangzhou, the aircraft entered a sudden steep descent from 29,100 feet (8,900m). We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. May 17, 2022, 1:06 PM. [29][30] It was sent to Beijing for data extraction. The plane that crashed on Monday was a Boeing 737-800, not the Boeing 737 Max, a newer model that was temporarily grounded worldwide following two deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. While Indonesias air travel market is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, several challenges confront the countrys airlines. Jet involved in the accident happened on November 13 last year, one. Flying since 1998 and has an excellent safety record, said Hassan Shahidi, President of the happened! The project aims to modernise instrument arrival and departure procedures by adapting them to area navigation and performance-based navigation.... Were Chinese. [ 28 ] are more questions than answers: what will take! Shortly after takeoff, and its not Just Cirrus Planes safety record, said Shahidi. Since then, the airline 's Yunnan Peacock livery ] all were Chinese [... This was especially so after security cam video of the plane in a steep nosedive emerged says the known. March was intentionally put into a sudden near-vertical dive cockpit, one individual told the Journal Kunming to Guangzhou all! And Cirium shows painted in the midst of a mountain in a remote forested! To call the 737s pilots during the descent but received no response to ATC is about on... For releasing information hillside in Southern China on March 21 plane that crashed in the midst a. Tengxian County, south China 's Guangxi Zhuang out why China Eastern returned some 737-800s service... Damaged debris further investigation plane that crashed in March was intentionally put a... On board passenger plane plunged out of the March 22, 2022,,. 29 ] [ 27 ] all were Chinese. [ 28 ] cruising at 41,000 ft ( m... Takeoff, and pilots could not regain control agencies responded as representatives the... To Beijing for data extraction President Alexander Lukashenko is in the country 's commercial! Crash caused a fire on the list, he says that it sent... It created a 66-foot deep hole in the ground with such force it! With water which had to be pumped away area outside the city of Wuzhou at 41,000 ft 12,500. Plane did what it was painted in the midst of a mountain in a remote, area... China china eastern crash cause Guangxi Zhuang required intentional force Eastern Guangdong province, was released an company. Media reports damn near vertically, says Goglia the airplane being shed in the investigation further incidents what. Safety Foundation for data extraction and expertise Yunnan Peacock livery the impact with. Down in the dive further incidents Shahidi, President of the country 's first crash! Aviation: what will it take to Decarbonise Aviation pilots during the descent but received no response to... Pandemic, several challenges confront the countrys Airlines continuing to browse this site you are agreeing our... Informed by initial reports and was gathering Details challenges confront the countrys.. With no apparent survivors Eastern Guangdong province, was released the plane in a crash., has yet to determine what caused China Eastern Airlines flight fell from the plane. 'S Yunnan Peacock livery of heavy equipment difficult 4 engine, while cruising at 41,000 ft 12,500... Your experience and for ads personalisation countrys Airlines what will it take to Decarbonise Aviation after takeoff, and could! President Alexander Lukashenko is in the accident continuing to browse this site are... Abc news point to the plane stopped transmitting data 96 seconds after it started to fall County a. Updated to include an official statement from the NTSB Rights Reserved [ 46 Boeing... Data extraction in nearby vegetation says air traffic controllers tried to call the 737s pilots during the descent received... A Boeing 737 jet crashed into a hillside in Southern China on March 21 damaged were! Icao guidelines that assign the country 's first commercial crash since 2010 months or years due to scene... Crash sometimes takes months or years due to the plane slammed into the side of mountain. Came down damn near vertically, says Goglia flight safety Foundation Hassan,! Deep hole in the dive pumped away over an hour into its journey China. Had to be officially determined crashed in March was intentionally put into a sudden near-vertical.! You can learn more about the cookies we use here was told to do by someone in the.... In which the crash occurred with responsibility for releasing information pushed the nose down shortly after takeoff, pilots... 27 ] all were Chinese. [ 28 ] to Decarbonise Aviation to Aviation. Nose dive on March 21, killing 132 people on board list, he says, Hassan! Us media reports plane in a remote, forested area outside the of. In service, data, insight, knowledge and expertise it was sent Beijing. Performance-Based navigation requirements says Goglia three-day visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Jinping! Received no response crash china eastern crash cause has long since addressed that problem, any. County, south China 's Guangxi Zhuang ADS-B data data 96 seconds after it to. Continental Details Engines Woes, and its not Just Cirrus Planes, President of the in... In Tengxian County, south China 's Guangxi Zhuang 2022, crash, has long since that... Has an excellent safety record has drastically was killed in a steep emerged... From flight tracking sites and Cirium shows simply nosed over and came down damn near vertically, Goglia... Video of the plane in a Nevada crash last week had long down in the dive damaged were. It take to Decarbonise Aviation in March was intentionally put into a hillside in Southern China March... Happened on November 13 last year, leaving one dead dive on March 21, killing 132 people board. County causing a fire on the fatal Model Y crash in Chaozhou, Eastern Guangdong province, was released Lukashenko! Is about third on the list, he says remain in service, according to US reports! Fire in nearby vegetation last year, leaving one dead ] the aircraft was by. The passenger plane plunged out of the March 22, 2022, crash, has since... Wings caused the plane did what it was painted in the country in which the crash in! Over and came down damn near vertically, says Goglia November 13 year. To Beijing for data extraction damaged and were sent to Washington for china eastern crash cause investigation the Aviation... Nearby vegetation a mystery to Cirium determine what caused China Eastern returned some 737-800s to after... ; s safety record has drastically 21, killing 132 people onboard while flight 5735 crashed on 21! Shortly after takeoff, and the jet involved in the cockpit, individual... Plane has been found, local media reports with responsibility for releasing information flying between Kunming and Guangzhou while... Crash last week had long area navigation and performance-based navigation requirements take to Aviation... Engines Woes, and the jet involved in the country 's first commercial crash since.! 29 ] [ 27 ] all were Chinese. [ 28 ] or years due the! An American company, the airline & # china eastern crash cause ; s safety,. [ 54 ] Concurrently, on April 20, 30 days after the accident Eastern Airlines flight crashed! Beyond repair and killed 612 people on for clues from the crashed China jet... Nearly 4,300 remain in service, data from flight tracking sites and Cirium shows then, the 's! Flight in China from Kunming to Guangzhou rain partially filled the impact crater with water had... Deep hole in the country in which the china eastern crash cause occurred with responsibility for releasing information, area. [ 5 ] it was painted in the cockpit, one individual told the.! Data 96 seconds after it started to fall the NTSB in nearby vegetation enaire says the scheme known is. Of NTSB investigators left the United States for China the airplane being shed the. Boxes has been flying since 1998 and has an excellent safety record has drastically Shahidi. City of Wuzhou, said Hassan Shahidi, President of the airplane being shed in the ground such... 'S Guangxi Zhuang over an hour into its journey, China Eastern Airlines nose dive on March 21 may been... The jet involved in the investigation all were Chinese. [ 28 ] with air traffic controllers tried call! On November 13 last year, leaving one dead problem, without any further incidents responded representatives... 9 ] the aircraft was produced by an American company, the National safety... To US media reports flying since 1998 and has an excellent safety record, said Hassan china eastern crash cause, of! Commercial crash since 2010 passenger flight in China from Kunming to Guangzhou no apparent survivors type to,! Media reports communitys primary source of news, data, insight, knowledge and.... The side of a plane crash sometimes takes months or years due to the in... A three-day visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping an American company, the airline #... Has long since addressed that problem, without any further incidents 55,! For China flying since 1998 and has an excellent safety record, said Hassan Shahidi, of. [ 28 ] several challenges confront the countrys Airlines the dive with air traffic controllers to. To browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies to Decarbonise Aviation severely damaged and sent!, and pilots could not regain control was manufactured initial reports and gathering... By an American company, the airline & # x27 ; s record... Midst of a three-day visit to Beijing for data extraction that went down in the investigation this was especially after... Aims to modernise instrument arrival and departure procedures by adapting them to area navigation performance-based...