Topline
Data from a black box recovered from the wreckage of a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 jet that crashed in March, killing all 132 onboard, indicate someone in the cockpit intentionally caused the plane to crash, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Emergency workers carry items after conducting a search operation near the China Eastern crash site. … [+]
Key Facts
U.S. officials are directing their attention to the pilot, although it’s possible someone else breached the cockpit to cause the crash, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with U.S. officials’ assessment of the March 2022 crash.
Black box data suggest someone pushed the controls to force the plane into a nosedive, according to the report.
If confirmed, it would be a huge relief for Boeing, which has faced major scrutiny of its safety practices after software flaws that caused the crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX planes, killing 346 people.
Chinese authorities spearheading the probe haven’t pointed to any mechanical or flight control problems with the plane, and Boeing hasn’t been working on new safety directives as a result of the crash, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.
Boeing and China Eastern did not respond to requests for comment from Forbes, but China Eastern told the Journal no evidence has been uncovered that could determine whether there was an issue with the aircraft, adding the airline was not in charge of the probe.
China Eastern added it was unlikely someone broke into the cockpit, noting Chinese authorities have said no one from the plane sent an emergency code before it crashed.
Crucial Quote
“The plane did what it was told to do by someone in the cockpit,” a person familiar with U.S.’ officials initial assessment told the Journal.
Key Background
About an hour into its flight from Kunming to Guangzhou on March 21, China Eastern flight MU5735 plunged into a near-vertical drop. The Boeing plane fell almost 22,000 feet in just over a minute before it crashed into mountains in southeastern China. For a month, China Eastern grounded its 737-800 fleet—a popular aircraft with a good safety record—to complete a safety inspection. Boeing’s 737 MAX, the newest version of its bestselling plane, however, has remained grounded for three years in China after software flaws led to two fatal crashes off the coast of Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia in March 2019. The Civil Aviation Administration of China released a preliminary report on the China Eastern crash last month that offered few new details, but laid out a timeline of the incident that killed all 123 passengers and nine crew members, and noted air-traffic controllers didn’t notice anything abnormal before the plane dropped.
What To Watch For
A final report. Chinese authorities haven’t told U.S. officials when they might publish official results of the investigation, but such probes can take at least a year to conclude, according to the Journal.
Further Reading
China Eastern Black Box Points to Intentional Nosedive (Wall Street Journal)
All 132 On China Eastern Flight Died In Crash, Chinese Authorities Determine (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/05/17/black-box-data-reportedly-suggest-china-eastern-jet-crash-was-intentional/