Key Findings

Multiple international media outlets citing new investigation reports have revealed that the March 2022 crash of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 was caused by someone deliberately cutting off the fuel supply in the cockpit. The Boeing 737-800 plunged from approximately 29,000 feet into a mountainous area in Guangxi, killing all 132 people on board.

This marks the first time specific details about the human actions leading to the crash have been publicly reported, more than four years after the incident.

Flight Data Evidence

According to reports from BBC and CNN, flight data recorder information obtained by US investigation agencies further supports the deliberate action theory. The data shows the aircraft experienced an abnormal fuel supply interruption before entering a near-vertical dive, a flight pattern inconsistent with natural mechanical failure.

The South China Morning Post reported in detail that investigators found operation records from the cockpit indicating the fuel valve was manually closed rather than failing due to a system malfunction. This finding shifts the nature of the incident from an accidental technical failure to an intentional act.

Transparency Concerns

The Times published a report directly alleging a cover-up by Chinese authorities during the investigation process. Following the crash, the Civil Aviation Administration of China released a preliminary investigation report, but detailed technical data and flight recorder information have not been fully disclosed to the international community.

Insurance Business magazine also covered this controversy, noting that international aviation safety investigation conventions require full sharing of critical data, and the level of information disclosure in this case has drawn industry attention.

Background

On March 21, 2022, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 traveling from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed in the mountainous area of Teng County, Wuzhou City, Guangxi. All 123 passengers and 9 crew members perished in what remains China’s deadliest aviation accident since the 2010 Yichun crash.

The Boeing 737-800 is one of the world’s most widely used narrow-body aircraft. If the crash is ultimately confirmed to be the result of human action rather than a design defect, the implications for Boeing would differ significantly from those of a mechanical failure scenario.

Ongoing Impact

The publication of these investigation findings is expected to renew attention from victims’ families regarding accountability. International aviation safety organizations are likely to call for enhanced cockpit security protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Sources: BBC, CNN, South China Morning Post, The Times