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China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735

Coordinates: 23°17′10″N 111°07′30″E / 23.286°N 111.125°E / 23.286; 111.125
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China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735
A white plane with peacock-themed livery seconds to touchdown
B-1791, the aircraft involved in the crash, photographed in 2015 near Hong Kong International Airport
Incident
Date21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)
SummaryCrashed into terrain, under investigation
SiteShentangbiao, Molang village, Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi, China[1]
23°17′10″N 111°07′30″E / 23.286°N 111.125°E / 23.286; 111.125
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[2]
DestinationGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Occupants132[3]
Passengers123[3]
Crew9[3]
Flight path of Flight 5735
Path of Flight 5735
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
800km
500miles
Kunming Airport
.
Impact site

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 operating the flight steeply descended and impacted the ground at high speed in Teng County, Wuzhou prefecture, Guangxi. On board were 123 passengers and 9 crew members; no signs of survivors have been found.

Flight

The aircraft departed from Kunming Changshui International Airport for Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 13:15 local time (05:15 UTC).[4] It was due to land at 15:05 (07:05 UTC).[5]

Four hours before the crash, Wuzhou weather services had issued a warning for strong convective winds.[6]

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), contact with the aircraft was lost over the city of Wuzhou.[7] At 14:22 (06:22 UTC), while preparing to descend into Guangzhou, the aircraft entered a sudden steep descent, from 29,100 feet (8,900 m) to 3,225 feet (983 m) in 3 minutes with a descent rate of 8,625 feet (2,629 m) per minute, according to flight data recorded by Flightradar24.[8] The aircraft crashed in the mountainous regions of Teng County, where wreckage was subsequently discovered.[4][1]

Footage of the crash was captured by a nearby CCTV camera, depicting the plane rapidly descending at close to a 90-degree angle.[9][10] The crash site was also filmed, showing wreckage and a fire. Many smaller pieces of wreckage were located scattered around the surrounding area.[11] No evidence of survivors has been found.[12]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-89P with the registration B-1791 and serial number 41474. The aircraft was powered by two CFM56-7B26E turbofan engines.[4] It had first flown on 5 June 2015 and was delivered new to the airline on 25 June 2015.[4] It was painted in the airline's Yunnan Peacock livery.[13][14]

The 737-800 has a good[citation needed] safety record; it was the predecessor to the 737 MAX, but BBC Business Correspondent Theo Leggett suggested there was no connection between the 737-800 and the safety issues which had grounded the 737 MAX following the accidents of Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019.[15]

The last accident involving the 737-800 was Air India Express Flight 1344 in August 2020. The last aviation accident in China was in 2010 when Henan Airlines Flight 8387 crashed near Yichun Lindu Airport, causing 44 fatalities.[16] The last major accident for China Eastern Airlines was 12 years ago with a Tupolev TU-154 that crashed in Xian, killing 16 people after it broke up due to a autopilot malfunction.

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 Town arrived and performed reconnaissance. At 16:40, firefighters from outside Wuzhou were also dispatched, including 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 fire was extinguished at 17:25.[20]

Passengers

There were 123 passengers and 9 crew members on the flight according to the CAAC for a total of 132 people on board.[21] The CAAC and the airline are in the process of retrieving names of passengers and crew.[22]

Investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States said in a statement that it was made aware of the incident.[23] The FAA added that it was "ready to assist in investigation efforts", if requested. Boeing said that it was informed by initial reports, and was gathering details.[23] 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. President Xi Jinping called for investigators to determine the cause of the crash as soon as possible and to ensure "absolute" aviation safety.[24]

Reaction

The CAAC enabled an emergency task force and dispatched a team to the crash site.[3]

On U.S. stock markets, Boeing shares fell by 7.8% and China Eastern shares fell by 8.2% after the incident.[25][22] In Hong Kong, China Eastern shares were down by 6.5%.[25] China Eastern announced that all of its Boeing 737-800s will be grounded for inspection until the investigation of the crash is completed.[22]

Liu Ning, the secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) 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.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "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.
  2. ^ "MU5735搭载133人广西藤县发生事故，昆明长水机场不知情：2点57分已到达" [MU5735 carrying 133 people had an accident in Teng County, Guangxi, Kunming Changshui Airport was unaware: arrived at 2:57]. time-weekly.com (in Chinese). 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "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)
  8. ^ "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  9. ^ @flightradar24 (21 March 2022). "Flightradar24 data for China Eastern Airlines flight #MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Hradecky, Simon. "Crash: China Eastern B738 near Guangzhou on Mar 21st 2022, lost altitude and impacted terrain". avherald.com. The Aviation Herald. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 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. ^ "China Eastern: Plane carrying 132 people crashes in Guangxi hills". BBC News. 21 March 2022. The number of casualties and reason for the crash are not yet known. Rescuers have seen no signs of survivors.
  13. ^ "B-1791 China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-89P(WL)". www.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. 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. ^ "Chinese airline confirms fatalities after plane with 132 on board crashes". RTE. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  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. ^ "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.
  21. ^ "架搭载133人的客机在广西藤县发生事故，伤亡情况未明" [A passenger plane carrying 133 people was involved in an accident in Teng County, Guangxi, the casualties are unknown] (in Chinese). CCTV News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ "Live Updates: China Eastern Plane Crashes in Remote Mountain Valley". The New York Times. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ "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.
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