Investigation into deadly crash finds no anomalies

Two years after the fatal crash of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 in a mountainous area of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region that killed 132 people, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said no anomalies have been found in flight operations and related procedures, according to a report released by the administration on Wednesday.

On March 21, 2022, the Boeing 737-800 flying from Kunming, Yunnan province, to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, crashed in a mountainous region in Wuzhou, Guangxi, killing all onboard.

The accident ended the national flight safety record of 11 years without a fatal accident on the Chinese mainland.

Thursday marked the second anniversary of the accident.

According to Lin Zhijie, a civil aviation industry analyst, before the final investigation report is released, it is a common practice of the international civil aviation industry to disclose information about the progress of investigations to the public on the anniversaries of incidents.

According to the investigation findings, the flight crew and cabin crew possessed valid licenses and credentials, and their flight, duty and rest times adhered to regulations. Furthermore, pre-flight health examinations for both flight and cabin crew were successfully completed.

The qualifications and composition of the crew were found to be in full compliance with the required standards.

The airworthiness certificate of the aircraft was confirmed to be valid, and the qualifications of the maintenance personnel met the stipulated requirements. Pre-departure inspections did not reveal any faults or anomalies in the aircraft systems, airframe structure or engines.

Additionally, personnel responsible for operations at the departure airport possessed the requisite qualifications, and the facility’s equipment and infrastructure were functioning normally.

All operations and procedures were in accordance with established protocols.

Moreover, the qualifications of relevant air traffic control personnel were found to be in line with prescribed standards. The communication, navigational and surveillance equipment were confirmed to be in proper working order.

No abnormalities were noted in the radio communications or control instructions prior to the incident, and there were no reports of hazardous weather conditions in the airspace or along the flight route at the time of the event.

Furthermore, the loading of the flight was in compliance with requirements, and there was no declaration of dangerous goods within the cargo or baggage. There is no evidence to suggest the presence of hazardous materials within the cargo or luggage.

The technical investigation team will continue to conduct experimental verification and root cause analysis.

Updates on the progress of the investigation will be released as further information becomes available, the report said.