Chinese officials confirmed on March 26 that all the people on China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 were killed. On the other hand, China said on March 27 that the second black box (flight data recorder) had been found on the seventh day after the “3.21” air accident.
China’s “3.21” China Eastern Airlines MU5735 aircraft flight accident National Emergency Response Headquarters confirmed on the evening of the 26th that “all people on Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 have died.” After six days of search and rescue work, the Chinese authorities said that 120 people on board had been confirmed. Identity, the scene search, and rescue did not detect explosive ingredients.
Chinese state media reported on the morning of the 27th that the second black box (flight data recorder) had been found on the seventh day of the search and rescue operation. The data on the flight data recorder, if not corrupted, could provide crucial evidence for understanding the crash.
Previously, rescuers had recovered another black box (the cockpit voice recorder). But authorities said the black box was severely damaged. As a result, there was no firm date on when personnel would be able to download and analyze the data.
China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 flew from Kunming to Guangzhou on the afternoon of Monday, March 21. No abnormality was reported after takeoff. Soon after launch, the plane entered an altitude of about 8869 meters for cruising. The cruising speed was about 845 kilometers per hour. When the flight arrived over Wuzhou, Guangxi, it suddenly dropped in height. It crashed nose down at an orangery in Mocong Village, Congnan Town, Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi. All 132 of the 123 passengers and nine crew members were killed.
So far, the cause of the crash remains a mystery. Officials said air traffic controllers tried to contact the pilot on China Eastern Airlines MU5735 after it was spotted plummeting but received no response.
China Eastern Airlines, one of China’s four major airlines, and its subsidiaries have grounded all 737-800 aircraft, totaling 223. China Eastern said the grounding was a precautionary measure, not a sign of any problems.
