China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735

aircraft crash in the People's Republic of China on March 21, 2022

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 was a scheduled passenger flight from Kunming to Guangzhou in China. On March 21, 2022, the Boeing 737-89P operating the flight crashed in Guangxi, China.

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735
There is an aircraft. It is landing at an airport. On the aircraft it is written China Eastern. This is the name of the airline.
B-1791, the aircraft involved in the crash, photographed in 2015
Incident
DateMarch 21, 2022 (2022-03-21)
SummaryCrashed into terrain; possible intentional crash, 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]
Fatalities132
Survivors0

The flight left Kunming Changshui International Airport, Kunming at 13:15 local time (05:15 UTC).[4] It was going to Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou. At 14:22, the plane began to show signs of crashing. The wreckage of the plane was found near Teng County, Guangxi.[5] The aircraft was carrying 132 people, including 123 passengers and 9 crew members.[6][7][8][9]

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), contact with the aircraft was lost over the city of Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. At 2:20 p.m. CST, while preparing to descend into Guangzhou, the aircraft entered a sharp descent.[10] It fell 20,000 feet, to 7,400 feet.[11] The plane gained 1,200 feet before crashing into a hillside.[11]

The accident was caught by security camera, shown in a near vertical dive without a vertical stabilizer, and with a white trail behind it as it descended, before disappearing out of view. A piece of the aircraft was found miles away from the final crash site of the aircraft, hinting to a midair breakup.

The plane left a 65-foot (20 m) deep hole in a surrounding forest.[8]

References

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  1. "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). March 21, 2022. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 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). March 21, 2022. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "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 March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  4. "China Eastern Airlines jet with 133 on board crashes in Guangxi". The Week magazine. March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  5. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-89P (WL) B-1791 Wuzhou, Tengxian County". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  6. 郭倩 (March 21, 2022). "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]. CCTV News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  7. Stoddart, Michelle; Yiu, Karson (April 20, 2022). "No abnormalities found in China plane crash: Investigators". ABC News. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  8. 8.0 8.1 The Associated Press (April 6, 2022). "U.S. experts analyzing black boxes from China Eastern Boeing 737 that nose-dived into mountainside killing 132". CBS News. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  9. Yiu, Karson; Hutchinson, Bill (March 23, 2022). "Black box analyzed for pilots' actions in China Eastern Airlines crash". ABC News. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  10. Campbell, Charlie (March 21, 2022). "Why the China Eastern Crash Is Such a Shock to the Country". Time. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Bradsher, Keith (April 4, 2022). "A Flight Over China in Clear Skies, Followed by a Nosedive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 11, 2022.