A China Eastern Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board goes to almost vertical dives and falls in remote mountainous areas in South China on Monday. It was the worst air disaster in this country in almost a decade. The investigator tried to unite the cause of the accident.
What happened?
The MU5735 flight from Kunming was sailing around 29,000 feet (8,839 meters) and about 100 miles from his goal in Guangzhou, South China, when suddenly dropped to steep offspring. For the next 1 minute and 35 seconds the plane loses a height in a close vertical diver, which takes it almost with the speed of the sound, until he slams to the hillside. All 132 people on board, including nine crew members, were deemed dead.
What are the possible scenarios?
At this point it is too early to predict what caused the accident. The possibility of ranging from equipment damage, to the weather related event, for pilot disease or suicide, to terrorist attacks from several descriptions. Nothing is ruled out.
What are investigators looking for?
The main focus of the investigation will be in a black box called aircraft – flight data and cockpit recorders. The cockpit recorder, which should capture the last conversation between the pilot before the accident, has been restored and sent for analysis. But it is “severely damaged” on impact and analysis is expected to take time. Hunting for flight data recorders is ongoing. Search has been hampered by bad weather.
Who were the pilots?
The pilot on the control of China’s East Flight 5735 is one of the most experienced commercial pilots in China and the captain is a lot younger with family genealogies, according to media reports in China. The captain has 6,709 hours in the 737 model, while the first co-pilot has a total of 31,769 flying hours, officials said at the briefing. The second co-pilot has 556 hours of flying hours experience. They all have good performance records and stable family conditions.
What have China Eastern and Boeing said?
China Eastern said it was conducting a comprehensive investigation into the accident. A spokesman said the plane was taken to the fleet in June 2015, the maintenance followed a strict plan and its technical conditions were normal and stable. The airline distributed all Jet Boeing 737-800 from Tuesday but has since emphasized that the move does not always mean there is a security problem with the type of aircraft. Boeing said in a message to all the employees was “very sad” by the accident and had “communicated close to customer authorities and regulations since the accident.”
Who’s investigating the crash?
Deputy Premier Liu China has been assigned by supervising investigations, which will be carried out by Chinese Civil Aviation Administration. The authorities will work with a senior researcher from the US National Transportation Safety Board and representatives of the Federal Boeing and Federal Aviation Administration. Fixed questions about access to foreign researchers will be given.