'All 132 Passengers Dead' Chinese Passenger Plane "Pilot Intentional Crash Suspected"

Passenger Plane Accident to Guangzhou, China on March 21

'132 Passengers Onboard' China Eastern Airlines Crashed Passenger Plane Wreckage [Image Source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The crash of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane last March, which fell vertically and resulted in the deaths of all onboard, is suspected to have been caused intentionally by the pilot.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 17th (local time), citing sources familiar with the preliminary U.S. investigation, that U.S. authorities have reached this preliminary conclusion regarding the cause of the China Eastern Airlines MU5735 crash on March 21.

Previously, the United States dispatched an aviation accident investigation team consisting of seven experts from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to China. Based on the analysis of flight records and other data, the investigation team stated that "someone in the cockpit acted according to commands," emphasizing the possibility of intentional crash.

In addition to the possibility of intentional pilot action, the investigation is also considering the possibility that another individual forcibly entered the cockpit and deliberately caused the crash. This preliminary analysis is a tentative conclusion drawn from the analysis of flight data and other records from the accident aircraft.

The China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 involved in the accident was carrying 132 passengers and crew from Kunming to Guangzhou on March 21 when it plunged vertically, resulting in the deaths of all onboard.

The aircraft exploded immediately after the crash, causing a wildfire. At the time, the Civil Aviation Administration of China stated that the plane lost contact while flying near Wuzhou City in China.

The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 3,225 feet and a speed of 376 knots, and it is known to have rapidly descended from 8,000 meters about two minutes before losing contact. The plane was scheduled to land in Guangzhou at 3:05 PM.

When footage of the plane falling vertically was released, speculation arose that the crash was intentional by the pilot, but China dismissed these claims as rumors and took measures to control online content.

It is also reported that during this investigation, Chinese authorities did not provide all accident-related materials to the U.S. experts involved in the investigation.

Meanwhile, according to online weather data, the weather conditions at the time were partly cloudy but visibility was sufficient for safe flight.