What’s new: China’s aviation regulator has provided an update on the investigation into the crash of a Boeing passenger jet operated by China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., which resulted in the loss of 132 lives two years ago. The cause of the incident has not yet been identified.
The crashed jet, Flight MU5735, which nosedived into a hillside, met all key requirements, including flight crew qualifications, flight maintenance, aircraft operation and aircraft airworthiness, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said Wednesday on the eve of the crash’s second anniversary.
The investigation showed that the flight crew and cabin crew held valid licenses and certificates, complied with regulations regarding flight, duty, and rest times, and met required health and qualifications requirements, according to the update.
The CAAC didn’t provide any update on the two black boxes recovered from the wreckage — each records cockpit voice and flight data. The devices were badly damaged in the crash and analysis of them is still going on, the report said.
The regulator said a technical team will continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
Background: Scheduled to fly from Kunming to Guangzhou on March 21, 2022, the Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft fell out of the sky in a nosedive before striking a hillside in Guangxi, about 100 miles from its destination. All 132 people on board were killed.
Footage captured by a mining company near the crash site showed the plane diving at high speed almost perpendicular to the ground before disappearing over a ridge covered with dense vegetation. The crew reported no problems before losing contact with air traffic control.
The Wednesday update provided little more information than the investigation’s report last year, which indicated that the flight condition, crew and weather were all normal. The two black boxes from the aircraft were sent to the United States for analysis.
China Eastern resumed flights using the same type of plane after a nearly one-month suspension.
Under the Chicago Convention, governments in charge of an investigation should publish a final report within 12 months of an incident. If a final report cannot be delivered, the country should issue a temporary statement on the anniversary of the accident each year, detailing the progress of the investigation.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
