This photo taken on March 27, 2022 shows rescuers of the China Eastern Airlines plane crash paying tribute to the victims.
On March 21, 2022, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed into the mountainous region of Guangxi from an altitude of 8,900 meters and crashed. The aircraft, registration B-1791, broke up on impact with the ground. All 123 passengers and nine crew on board perished.
Under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the country leading an investigation into a plane crash has 30 days to send ICAO a preliminary investigation report and its findings. China today released the preliminary report on the China Eastern Airlines accident. It contains information about the course of the flight, the crew, the aircraft’s maintenance personnel and the distribution of the debris, but does not clarify what happened that day. The tragic incident remains a mystery.
The China Eastern Airlines aircraft was on flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou when it deviated from its cruising altitude at 14:20:55 local time. The last information recorded by the radar at 14:21:40 showed the aircraft flying at an altitude of 3,380 meters with a ground speed of 1,010 km/h and a heading of 117 degrees.
The full velocity impact created a 45 square meter crater at coordinates 23°19’25.52″ north latitude and 111°06’44.30″ east longitude. Part of the plane’s right wing was found 12 km from the main point of impact. The remains found were moved to a special storage facility for cleaning and identification, and were placed on the aircraft by size and actual location to facilitate later inspection and analysis.
The investigation confirmed that the maintenance personnel had met all requirements and that the aircraft’s certificate of airworthiness was valid. Before the accident, there were no reports of breakdowns. The weather conditions were not dangerous. No dangerous goods had been declared on board. No traces of explosives were found in the wreck either.
The radio communication between the flight crew and air traffic control was normal. The last call was at 2:16 p.m. No emergency code was sent. The aircraft’s two flight recorders were recovered but are badly damaged from the impact and restoration and analysis work is ongoing.