US Accuses China of Suppressing Crash Information

US officials allege that Chinese authorities were aware within weeks of the China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crash in March 2022 that it was a deliberate act, and subsequently suppressed information related to the incident. The crash tragically resulted in the deaths of all 132 people on board.

NTSB Findings Point to Intentional Crash

Newly released details from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) strongly indicate the Boeing 737 was intentionally crashed into a mountain in Guangxi province. The flight was en route from Kunming to Guangzhou at the time of the incident.

Evidence of Control Manipulation

The NTSB’s findings reveal that both engines were manually shut down, the autopilot disengaged, and the aircraft forced into a steep descent. Flight recorder data showed a struggle in the cockpit, with pilots appearing to fight for control as the plane fell.

Conflicting Control Inputs

Specifically, fuel switches on both engines were moved to the cut-off position while cruising at 29,000 feet, causing a rapid loss of engine speed. Graphs released by the NTSB show conflicting movements of the pilot’s control yokes, suggesting one pilot attempted to recover the aircraft while another continued the descent.

No Distress Signal and Limited Data

Ground video footage confirms the plane’s near-vertical plunge, and crucially, no distress call or emergency transponder code was transmitted before impact. The flight data recorder stopped functioning after 90 seconds due to a power failure, but the cockpit voice recorder continued to operate, though the NTSB no longer retains a copy after submitting it to Beijing.

China's Response and Allegations of Obstruction

China’s Civil Aviation Administration previously cautioned against disclosures that could potentially endanger national security and social stability. The disaster has become a sensitive political issue, with accusations of Beijing obstructing transparency and suppressing crucial information.

Initial Findings Shared with China

The NTSB shared its findings with Chinese authorities just two weeks after recovering the black boxes in 2022. However, the information was only made public recently following a freedom of information request in the United States.

Pilot Speculation and Similar Incidents

Chinese investigators have consistently stated that the aircraft’s systems were functioning normally before the crash. However, a US investigator reportedly told The Wall Street Journal shortly after the incident that ‘the plane did what it was told to do by someone in the cockpit’, a statement later removed from Chinese social media.

Flight Crew Details

The flight crew consisted of Captain Yang Hongda, 32, first officer Zhang Zhengping, 59, and trainee second officer Ni Gongtao, 27. Speculation within China has focused on Zhang, a senior pilot who had recently been demoted from captain.

History of Suspected Pilot Actions

This incident has renewed attention to suspected pilot murder-suicides in commercial aviation. The 2015 Germanwings Flight 9525 tragedy, where co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally crashed an Airbus, resulting in 150 fatalities, remains a stark example. Deliberate pilot action is also a theory surrounding the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in 2014 and the Air India Flight 171 crash.

Crash Site and Ongoing Questions

The China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crash site was described as having ‘totally incinerated’ passengers and belongings, with significant damage to the surrounding forest. The lack of transparency from Chinese authorities and the evidence presented by the NTSB raise serious questions about the true circumstances of the crash and the suppression of information.