Chinese Passenger Plane Plunges 8.8km Before Crash... "Unusual, Too Early to Conclude Cause of Crash"

Bloomberg, Citing Veteran Crash Investigator
"Many Scenarios Possible, Including Malfunction and Pilot Error"

On the 21st, debris from the China Eastern Airlines passenger plane crash was scattered at the accident site in Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It was confirmed that the China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735, carrying 132 people, crashed in a mountainous area near Teng County while en route from Kunming, Yunnan Province in the south, to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Experts have analyzed that it is unusual for a Boeing 737 passenger plane operated by China Eastern Airlines, carrying 132 passengers and crew, to have plunged 8.8 km (29,000 ft) just before crashing.

On the 22nd, Bloomberg News reported that the passenger plane was falling at a much faster speed than normal at an altitude of 29,000 ft, about 100 miles (160.93 km) from its destination, just before the accident. The media stated that this is the worst aviation accident in China in the past 10 years with all passengers dead, but so far, this is the only fact revealed.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, at 1:15 p.m. local time on the 21st, a Boeing 737-800NG (MU5735) operated by China Eastern Airlines, carrying 132 passengers, crashed in a mountainous area near Tengxian, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China.

Bloomberg cited veteran crash investigators explaining that while passenger planes have crashed from cruising altitude (the appropriate altitude above sea level maintained for safe flight), extreme forms of descent like this accident are very rare. John Cox, an aviation safety consultant and former Boeing 737 pilot, said, "This is an unusual profile," adding, "It is difficult for a plane to do something like this."

According to FlightRadar24 data, the passenger plane fell at a speed of 30,000 ft (9,144 m) per minute within a few seconds. Overall data shows it plunged nearly 26,000 ft (7,924 m) in about 1 minute and 35 seconds. The plane paused its descent for about 10 seconds, briefly ascended, and then plunged again. Former U.S. Federal Aviation Administration accident investigator Jeff Guzzetti said, "It is very strange."

Former investigators Guzzetti and Cox emphasized that FlightRadar24 data is provisional and explained that considering the plane showed a straight flight path and its transponder was still functioning, it was not disintegrated in midair as seen in bombings.

Bloomberg reported that investigators said although planes have suddenly dropped from cruising altitude before, there are significant differences from this accident. For example, Air France Flight 447, which crashed in the Atlantic in June 2009, fell much more slowly and irregularly than the Chinese plane, and the Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings cargo plane crash in 2019 did not fall as fast as this accident.

There have been cases of descent speeds as fast as the Chinese plane. In 1997, SilkAir 737-700 fell at a speed of 38,000 ft per minute. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the pilot likely intentionally caused the crash. However, the truth of this accident remains unclear.

Experts pointed out that it is too early to draw conclusions about this crash. Former NTSB investigator Benjamin Berman said, "It is too early to conclude the cause of the Chinese passenger plane crash," adding, "Many scenarios can be considered, such as some kind of malfunction or pilot error."

He continued, "The Boeing 737-800, like other jets, is generally designed not to descend at a steep angle," explaining, "This means extreme efforts by the pilot or very unusual malfunctions are required."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.