Data from the black box of the China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed in China in March indicates that someone deliberately caused the aircraft to descend at a near-vertical angle.
Extracted data from the black box shows that someone in the cockpit entered commands for the plane to dive, according to initial assessments from U.S. officials reported by the Wall Street Journal on May 18.
“The aircraft followed the commands of someone in the cockpit,” the source stated.
On March 21, the Boeing 737-800 of China Eastern was on a flight from Kunming to Guangzhou when it suddenly crashed, resulting in the deaths of all 132 passengers and crew members.
Representatives from the U.S. airline involved in the investigation are focusing on the possibility that this was an action by the pilot, but there may also have been another individual on the plane who accessed the cockpit, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The second black box of the crashed aircraft was discovered at the accident site in Guangxi province, China. (Photo: Xinhua).
According to the above source, further supporting the assessment of U.S. officials is that the Chinese investigation team has not recorded any technical or control issues with the crashed aircraft so far.
Boeing’s stock rose on the day, increasing by up to 6.2% in New York.
If the Wall Street Journal’s information is confirmed, it would indicate that the aircraft manufacturer is not primarily responsible for the incident.
A knowledgeable source regarding the preliminary assessment by U.S. officials noted that the U.S. does not have as much information as the Chinese investigation team.
In response to the Wall Street Journal, China Eastern stated that there is no evidence yet to determine whether the crashed aircraft had any issues.
The airline reiterated its earlier statement regarding the stability of the pilots’ health and families, as well as its good financial situation.
China Eastern also stated that it is not responsible for the investigation. “Any unofficial speculation could impact the investigation process and affect the substantive development of the global aviation industry,” the airline said.
