The crash of an aircraft like China Eastern Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 in flight is “just unprecedented,” said one aviation analyst, citing the excellent safety records of the plane.
“Air travel is the safest means of transportation, but if you’re hit by an accident or accident, you won’t see what you’ve seen in China in the last 24 hours,” said Independent Air Analyst Alex Machelus. He told CNBC. “Capital Connection” on Tuesday.
“This plunge was unprecedented, especially at cruising altitude. We are talking about the safest stages of flight, so we need to determine these answers as soon as possible,” he added. ..
As of Tuesday morning, no bodies or survivors have been found in the crash, according to Chinese state media.
Domestic flights were carrying 132 people when they plunged on Monday afternoon in the southern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The plane was cruising at 29,100 feet and began a plunge after 2:20 pm, temporarily recovering more than 1,000 feet. After that, he continued diving again before the contact was lost. It fell over 25,000 feet in about two minutes.
The 737-800, which crashed on Monday in China, first flew in June 2015. It wasn’t the Boeing 737 Max, an airplane that landed around the world after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. After the second of two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
Aircraft safety record
“The aircraft involved was 6 years old, so it’s a very young 737-800 and has excellent safety records around the world,” said Macheras.
“We’re talking about the aircraft that make up the entire fleet of European low-cost carrier Ryanair. Aircraft of airlines operating on American Airlines, Qantas, Fly Dubai, Ethiopia and KLM,” he added. In a very difficult situation.
According to travel analysis firm Cirium, there are more than 4,200 Boeing 737-800s in service worldwide, of which 1,177 belong to the fleet of Chinese airlines.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an investigation and rescue team at the location of the crash in a rural mountainous region.
Sheila Kahyaogle, an aerospace and defense analyst at Jeffreys, said the aircraft’s safety records are very likely to have caused something wrong during the flight.
“Given the safety records of this aircraft and the fact that there were only nine fatal accidents in 25 years, it’s highly doubtful that it’s a manufacturer’s problem,” she told CNBC on Tuesday.
“Obviously, it’s too early to think about it or draw conclusions,” she admits, and because the aircraft has good safety records so far, it’s probably “something went wrong.” Indicated.
Search for “black box”
The aircraft was a US-made plane, so the National Transportation Safety Board said it had appointed an investigator for the crash.
Investigators will work to restore the so-called black box, including audio recordings of the cockpit and flight data. They may also look at the aircraft’s previous flight, maintenance history, weather data, and pilot health.
Macheras said it’s the black box that “seeks for answers and ultimately pushes investigators in the right direction.”
“The nature of the crash remains unexplained, so the role played by the aircraft will be a matter for so many regulators.” [minds] “Around the world, there’s always that risk, and that’s why researchers want to rule out whatever they can do. But, as we say, the black box is the most influential.”
— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng and Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.