American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have released official statements regarding China Eastern flight MU5735, a B737-800, which crashed in the Guangxi mountains with no survivors.
MU5735, registered B-1791, was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou on March 21, 2022, when it was lost at 06:22 UTC, just over an hour after taking off, according to FlightRadar24.
It was later confirmed that the B737-800 aircraft, carrying 132 passengers on board, had crashed in the Guangxi mountains of southern China. State media has confirmed that no survivors were found at the Guangxi site.
image source: FlightRadar24
FlightRadar24 data showed the aircraft entering a steep dive after cruising at 29,100 feet. The dive was briefly halted before the plane plunged again. Its final descent rate was 31,000 feet/per minute, the flight tracking service said.
The aircraft’s sudden plunge of almost 8000 meters in two minutes has prompted an aircraft investigator to suggest foul play should be at the top of the list for investigators as they try to determine what happened to the flight.
Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. We are working with our airline customer and are ready to support them.
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) March 21, 2022
In a statement released on March 21, 2022, Boeing said: “Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. We are working with our airline customers and are ready to support them. Boeing is in contact with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and our technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.”
According to FlightRadar24, the B737 aircraft involved in the accident was delivered to China Eastern Airlines (CIAH) (CEA) in June 2015.
China Eastern Airlines’ (CIAH) (CEA) Boeing-made aircraft fleet comprises 289 Boeing 737 family aircraft, 20 Boeing 777s, and 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. In addition, the group also has a total of seven COMAC ARJ21 regional jets.
Boeing shares fell after the crash and, by the end of the day of March 21, 2022, they were down 3.6% on Wall Street.
The NTSB has appointed a senior air safety investigator as a U.S. accredited representative to the investigation of the March 21, 2022, crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 near Wuzhou, China.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) March 21, 2022
The NTSB has also released its official statement via Twitter, saying that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is leading the investigation. The board also revealed that it had appointed a senior air safety investigator as a U.S. accredited representative to the investigation of flight MU5735.
FAA STATEMENT
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) March 21, 2022
The FAA is aware of reports that a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane crashed this morning in China. The agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked.
Meanwhile, the FAA gave its support, saying that the agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts of flight MU5735 if asked.