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China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735

Coordinates: 23°19′27″N 111°06′43″E / 23.324057°N 111.111874°E / 23.324057; 111.111874
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China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735
A white plane with peacock-themed livery seconds to touchdown
B-1791, the accident aircraft, photographed in 2015
Incident
Date21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)
SummaryCrashed into terrain, under investigation
SiteShentangbiao, Molang village, Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi, China
23°19′27″N 111°06′43″E / 23.324057°N 111.111874°E / 23.324057; 111.111874
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 737-89P
OperatorChina Eastern Yunnan Airlines
IATA flight No.MU5735
ICAO flight No.CES5735
Call signCHINA EASTERN 5735
RegistrationB-1791
Flight originKunming Changshui International Airport
DestinationGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Passengers123
Crew9
Fatalities132
Survivors0

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by China Eastern Airlines from Kunming to Guangzhou, China. On 21 March 2022, the Boeing 737-89P aircraft operating the service descended steeply mid-flight and struck the ground at high speed in Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, killing all 132 passengers and crew aboard.

Flight

Flight path of Flight 5735 (data from Flightradar24)

The aircraft departed from Kunming Changshui International Airport for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 13:15 local time (05:15 UTC).[1] It was due to land at 15:05 (07:05 UTC).[2] According to VariFlight,[3] the aircraft had been scheduled to depart Baoshan Yunrui Airport earlier in the day, at 08:35, and arrive at Kunming Changshui International Airport at 09:35, but this leg had been cancelled on the day of the accident.[4] The flight had previously operated from Baoshan to Kunming daily, but that segment was temporarily suspended due to low passenger numbers as a result of COVID-19.[3]

Four hours before the crash, Wuzhou weather services had issued a warning for strong convective winds.[5]

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), contact with the aircraft was lost over the city of Wuzhou.[6] At 14:22 (06:22 UTC), while approaching its top of descent into Guangzhou, the aircraft entered a sudden steep descent from 29,100 feet (8,900 m). It briefly levelled off and climbed up from 7,400 ft (2,300 m) to 8,600 ft (2,600 m), but plunged downwards again, reaching a final recorded altitude of 3,225 ft (983 m) less than two minutes after the beginning of the descent, with a maximum descent rate of nearly 31,000 feet (9,400 m) per minute, according to flight data recorded by Flightradar24.[7] The aircraft's descent came to an end as it crashed in the mountainous regions of Teng County, where a debris field was subsequently discovered.[1][8]

The crash was filmed by the security camera of a local mining company.[9] Residents of the villages surrounding the crash site reported hearing a loud explosion.[10] Footage from the crash site taken in the aftermath of the incident showed wreckage and a fire. Many smaller pieces of wreckage were also scattered in the surrounding area.[11] All 132 passengers and crew died in the crash.[12]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-89P[a] (737NG or 737 Next Generation) with the registration B-1791 and serial number 41474. The aircraft was powered by two CFM56-7B26E turbofans.[1] It was first flown on 5 June 2015 and was delivered new to China Eastern Airlines on 25 June 2015.[1] It was painted in the airline's Yunnan Peacock livery.[13][14] The model of aircraft involved is not equipped with the MCAS system used on the newer 737 MAX that was responsible for its grounding following two catastrophic accidents in 2018 and 2019.[15][16]

Response

The Wuzhou prefecture fire department reported that 450 firefighters were dispatched to the scene of the accident.[17] After receiving the distress call, firefighters were dispatched by the Wuzhou Fire and Rescue Department at 15:05 CST. At 15:56, firefighters from nearby Tangbu arrived and performed reconnaissance. At 16:40, firefighters from outside Wuzhou were also dispatched, including those from Guilin, Beihai, Hezhou, Laibin and Hechi.[18]

Rescue crews reportedly had difficulty accessing the site because the crash sparked a fire. By the evening, 117 rescuers had arrived at the site, with a total of 650 dispatched and heading to the site from three directions.[19] The impact with the ground caused a forest fire that destroyed bamboo nearby.[20] At 17:25, it was extinguished.[21] Aircraft wreckage and belongings of occupants have been found, but there were no signs of human bodies or remains.[22][23]

Passengers

There were 123 passengers and 9 crew members on the flight according to the CAAC for a total of 132 people on board.[24] The CAAC and the airline are in the process of retrieving the names of passengers and crew onboard.[25] According to China Central Television, all passengers were Chinese citizens.[26]

Investigation

Chinese premier Li Keqiang called for all-out efforts to search for survivors and treat the injured and emphasized the need to reassure and serve the families of the victims. Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for investigators to determine the cause of the crash as soon as possible and to ensure "absolute" aviation safety.[27]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States said that it was made aware of the incident[28] and that it was "ready to assist in investigation efforts", if requested. Boeing said that it was informed by initial reports, and was gathering details.[28] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States said that a senior official had been appointed as representative to the accident inquiry.[29] Representatives from CFM International, Boeing, and the FAA will also act as technical advisers in the probe.[29]

One of the two flight recorders was found on 23 March.[30] It was described as being "so badly damaged that it was not immediately possible to say whether it is the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder".[31] Later it was preliminarily identified as the cockpit voice recorder and was sent to Beijing for possible data extraction.[32]

Reactions

Domestic

The CAAC enabled an emergency task force and dispatched a team to the crash site.[24] Liu Ning, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Guangxi, went to the scene of the crash and ordered an "all-out" search and rescue operation. He was also accompanied by the director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Guangxi and other officials.[33]

China Eastern issued a statement that a hotline for family members to contact the airline had been opened.[34] The airline announced that its Boeing 737-800 fleet would be grounded for inspection until the investigation of the crash was completed.[25]

VariFlight reported that nearly 74 percent of the scheduled 11,800 flights on 22 March were cancelled as a result of the crash. A majority of flight services between Beijing and Shanghai were cancelled.[35] Cancellation rates were reportedly the highest in China in 2022.[35]

International

A number of foreign world leaders expressed condolences for the loss of life in the crash, including Narendra Modi,[36] Imran Khan,[37] Justin Trudeau,[38] Kim Jong-un,[39] Boris Johnson,[40] Vladimir Putin, Tsai Ing-wen, Sergio Mattarella[38] and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.[41]

In India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) placed all Boeing 737 aircraft flown by SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express under "enhanced surveillance". An official from the regulatory body said that "safety is serious business", and that the situation is being closely monitored.[42]

On U.S. stock markets, Boeing shares initially fell by 7.8 percent and China Eastern shares by 8.2 percent after the incident.[43][25] On the Hong Kong Stock Exchange China Eastern shares dropped 6.5 percent.[43]

Boeing offered its condolences to the families of the victims and said that it was in contact with China Eastern and the NTSB.[44]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The aircraft's base model is the Boeing 737-800. "9P" is the Boeing customer code for China Eastern, used to identify aircraft in light of detailed variations or options requested by particular customers.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735.
Wikinews has related news:
  1. ^ a b c d Ranter, Harro (21 March 2022). "Accident description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Boeing passenger plane crashes in China with smoke seen rising from the scene". GB News. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b Wang Yun, ed. (22 March 2022). "MU5735今早临时取消保山飞昆明航段". Spring City Evening News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Flight history for China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735". Flightradar24. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  5. ^ "东航客机发生事故 事故发生地4小时前曾发布强对流天气预警" [The accident of China Eastern Airlines passenger plane issued a severe convective weather warning 4 hours before the accident]. news.hnr.cn (in Chinese). 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  6. ^ "China Eastern Boeing 737 Jet Crashes With More Than 130 on Board". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 21 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Petchenik, Ian (21 March 2022). "China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 crashes en route to Guangzhou". Flightradar24. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  8. ^ "广西消防：发现客机残骸碎片，尚未发现遇难者遗体" [Guangxi Fire Department: Fragments of passenger plane wreckage were found, but the remains of the victims have not yet been found]. j.eastday.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  9. ^ Millson, Alex (21 March 2022). "Here's Everything We Know About the China Plane Crash So Far". Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  10. ^ "MU5735空难7小时后 尚未找到遇难者遗体". Southern Weekly (in Chinese). Phoenix New Media. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Video reportedly shows aftermath of passenger plane crash in China". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  12. ^ "No survivors found in China Eastern plane crash, state media says". CBS News. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ^ "B-1791 China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-89P(WL)". planespotters.net. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  14. ^ Flightradar24. "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "China Eastern: Plane carrying 132 people crashes in Guangxi hills". BBC News. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022. There is no connection here with the 737 MAX, a newer version of the 737, which was grounded for more than a year and a half after a design flaw triggered two major accidents.
  16. ^ "What We Know About the Crash of China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735". The New York Times. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022. The plane was a Boeing 737-800 that had flown for nearly seven years. It was not a 737 Max, the model that was grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that were caused by a faulty flight stabilizing system.
  17. ^ White, Edward; McMorrow, Ryan; Olcott, Eleanor (21 March 2022). "Passenger plane crashes in southern China". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  18. ^ "滚动丨最新！发现客机残骸碎片，尚未发现遇难者遗体". resource.cloudgx.cn. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  19. ^ "China Eastern Airlines passenger jet crashes with 132 people on board". ABC News. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  20. ^ Bosotti, Aurora (22 March 2022). "Flight 5735 crash: Moment China Eastern Airlines plane 'nosedives' to ground - VIDEO". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022. Media cited a rescue official as saying the plane had disintegrated and caused a fire destroying bamboo trees.
  21. ^ "东航客机坠毁引发的森林火灾已扑灭". Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  22. ^ "广西消防:发现客机残骸碎片 尚未发现遇难者遗体". People's Daily client. Xinhua News Agency. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  23. ^ Cai, Jane (22 March 2022). "China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735: debris and belongings recovered but search for survivors continues". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  24. ^ a b "东航一架波音737飞机坠毁民航局已启动应急机制" [A Boeing 737 of China Eastern Airlines crashed, the Civil Aviation Administration has activated the emergency mechanism]. Civil Aviation Administration of China (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022. 机上人员共132人，其中旅客123人、机组9人
  25. ^ a b c Birsel, Robert (21 March 2022). "Chinese Boeing jet crashes in mountains with 132 on board, no sign of survivors". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  26. ^ Chen, Zhenglu (22 March 2022). "央視：東航失事航班沒有外籍乘客" [CCTV: There are no foreign passengers on the crashed China Eastern flight]. United Daily News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022. Regarding whether there were any Taiwanese on board, the Taiwan branch of China Eastern Airlines told this newspaper earlier, "It is not convenient for me to answer your question, but I have already forwarded it to the headquarters."
  27. ^ "Live Updates: China Eastern Plane Crashes in Remote Mountain Valley". The New York Times. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022. China's top leader, Xi Jinping, quickly issued a statement calling for rescuers to do their utmost and "handle the aftermath in a proper manner."
  28. ^ a b Cheng, Evelyn; Gilchrist, Karen; Josephs, Leslie (21 March 2022). "Boeing 737 passenger jet crashes in China with 132 people on board". CNBC. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  29. ^ a b "US names investigator as representative to China Boeing 737-800 crash probe". Channel NewsAsia. Reuters. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  30. ^ "Black box found from crashed China Eastern Jet - Chinese aviation regulator". Reuters. 23 March 2022.
  31. ^ "Black box from crashed China Eastern plane found in 'severely damaged' condition". The National. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  32. ^ "黑匣子初判为舱音记录器 已被连夜送京译码" [It has been found that the black box is initially determined to be a cockpit voice recorder] (in Chinese). 中国民航网. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022. The black box was sent overnight to a professional civil aviation agency in Beijing for decoding. The download and decoding of the recorder data takes time, and may take longer if the internal storage unit is damaged.
  33. ^ "广西自治区党委书记刘宁已赶赴现场，要求全力搜救" [Liu Ning, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangxi Autonomous Region, has rushed to the scene and asked for all-out search and rescue]. Hangzhou News (in Chinese). 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  34. ^ Vinopal, Courtney (21 March 2022). "How Boeing is responding to the 737-800 crash in China". Quartz News. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  35. ^ a b "Chinese air travel faces mass cancellations after plane crash". The Straits Times. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  36. ^ "PM Narendra Modi Expresses Grief Over China Plane Crash". Outlook India. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  37. ^ "'Pakistan shares the grief,' PM Imran Khan expresses sorrow over China plane crash". Pakistan Today. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  38. ^ a b Lau, Jack (23 March 2022). "China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735: world leaders express sympathy for crash victims". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  39. ^ "N.Korea's Kim offers condolences to China's Xi over airliner crash". Reuters. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  40. ^ Boris Johnson [@borisjohnson] (21 March 2022). "Terrible news about the China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735. My thoughts are with the families of all those caught up in this tragedy and the search and rescue teams currently responding" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 March 2022 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ Tuesday, 22 Mar 2022 09:36 PM MYT. "China Eastern Airlines plane crash: PM expresses condolences to government of China | Malay Mail". Malay Mail. Retrieved 23 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  42. ^ "India Puts Boeing 737 Fleets On 'Enhanced Surveillance' After China Plane Crash". NDTV. Press Trust of India. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  43. ^ a b Jain, Devik (21 March 2022). "Futures edge lower, Boeing shares fall after 737 crash". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  44. ^ "Boeing Statement on China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735". MediaRoom. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.


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