Newly released data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggests that both engines were shut off and there was a cockpit struggle before a China Eastern Airlines jet crashed into a mountain in 2022, killing all 132 people aboard.
Both engines shut off and cockpit struggle came before 2022 China plane crash, NTSB data suggests In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, search and rescue workers search through debris at the China Eastern flight crash site in Tengxian County in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 24, 2022.
Both engines were shut off and there was a cockpit struggle before a China Eastern Airlines jet slammed into a mountain in 2022 and killed all 132 people aboard, newly released data released by American investigators suggests. In response to a public records request, the National Transportation Safety Board released a report recently on what the Boeing 737-800's flight data recorder revealed.
The NTSB became involved in the Chinese investigation because the plane and engines were made by American companies and the US investigators are regarded as the world's leading experts on analysing black boxes after a crash. The report offers the best explanation yet about what caused the crash and confirms news stories at the time suggesting the crew may have played a role after Chinese investigators said they did not immediately find a problem with the plane.
Aviation safety experts agree that the data shows the fuel to both engines was cut off and someone sent the plane into a nosedive and a 360-degree roll, but it does not conclusively show exactly what happened because the Civil Aviation Administration of China has yet to release its final report than four years later. International standards call for investigators to strive to release their report by roughly a year after a crash.
By design the fuel levers in a 737 cannot be easily bumped or shut off inadvertently - someone has to pull them out to release them before they will move. John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said the levers lock into place, so it's likely that someone deliberately moved them both to the cutoff position.
The data ended while the plane was still at 26,000 feet of altitude after the flight recorder and all the plane's hydraulic systems lost power, but the report of the 12 minutes before that suggests what happened. The cockpit voice recorder, which continued working because it had a battery backup, could also help shed light, but the NTSB did not release a transcript of what it found on those recordings.
It is up to Chinese authorities to release those details. Jeff Guzzetti, who formerly investigated crashes for the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, said the flight data suggests a struggle and the crash could have been a pilot suicide. There have been a number of previous instances of that, including a Germanwings flight that crashed into the French alps in 2015, killing everyone aboard.
"Typically when you want to roll an airplane, it's a smooth movement of the control wheel in one direction. But here you have it moving back and forth, back and forth, as if someone is trying to counter the initial movement of the roll," Guzzetti said.
"So it's not conclusive, but it sure has the earmarks of a struggle in the cockpit. "The details about this crash will renew longstanding industry concerns about how to ensure pilots' mental health. Many are reluctant to come forward and seek help for fear they could lose their medical certification and be grounded. Getting recertified can take months or longer during which a grounded pilot is not getting paid.
Meanwhile some countries prohibit pilots from taking common psychiatric medicines such as antidepressants.
"Clearly pilots - and very understandably so - are oftentimes reluctant to come forward, knowing that to get recertified after having gone through a mental health evaluation, it can be very arduous and very lengthy," Cox said. Guzzetti said the co-pilot of an Egypt Air plane that crashed in 1999 is believed to have deliberately sent it into the ocean off New York.
In 2023, in an incident that did not end in a crash, an off-duty pilot who took psychedelic mushrooms days beforehand tried to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight while riding off-duty in the cockpit. The jet was flying from Kunming in the southwest to Guangzhou, near Hong Kong, when it went into a nosedive at about 8,800 meters , appeared to recover but then slammed into the mountain.
The crash left a 65-foot crater and set the forest on fire. The crew reported no problems before losing contact with air traffic control. Chinese investigators said no abnormalities were found among the plane or crew or with outside elements such as bad weather. The March 21, 2022, crash was a rare failure for the Chinese airline industry, which dramatically improved safety following deadly crashes in the 1990s.
China Eastern is one of four major state-owned airlines in the country. Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019National mindline: 1771 / 6669-1771
China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 Cockpit Struggle Fuel Cut Off Roll Maneuver Mental Health Recertification Psychedelic Mushrooms Off-Duty Pilot
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US report China Eastern jet fuel supply was off ahead of deadly 2022 crashWASHINGTON/SHANGHAI – The US National Transportation Safety Board released data this week indicating the fuel supply was switched off to both engines of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 jet before the aircraft plunged into a hillside in southern China in March 2022, killing all 132 people on board.
Read more »
Severe Turbulence on Singapore Airlines Flight Leads to Fatality, Injuries, and LawsuitsA Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore experienced extreme turbulence, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. Three passengers have filed lawsuits, while investigations reveal no aircraft faults. The airline has offered compensation, though it is described as partial. Unrelated incidents involving political controversy and a traffic violation are also noted.
Read more »
Singapore Airlines Expands European Network with New Routes and Increased FrequenciesSingapore Airlines announces the launch of a new route to Madrid and increased flight frequencies to London, Milan, Munich, and Manchester, reflecting strong demand for European travel.
Read more »
US report into China Eastern crash suggests fuel cut, cockpit struggleBoth engines were shut off and there was a cockpit struggle before a China Eastern Airlines jet slammed into a mountain in 2022 and killed all 132 people aboard, newly released data released by American investigators suggests.
Read more »