Crash deliberate: report

Washington: Flight data from a black box recovered from the China Eastern Airlines jet that crashed in March indicates someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane, the Wall Street

Journal reported yesterday, citing people familiar with US officials’ preliminary assessment.

A Western official said the focus was on the actions of the crew, after the preliminary investigation did not find any indication of a technical malfunction.

In March, the Boeing 737800 jet, en route from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in the mountains of Guangxi, after a sudden plunge from cruising altitude, killing all 123 passengers and nine crew members aboard. It was mainland China’s deadliest aviation disaster in 28 years.

China Eastern could not immediately be reached for comment. — Reuters