New NTSB Report Into Deadly China Eastern Crash Suggests Struggle in Cockpit
nytimes.com • • world
Key Points:
- New data from the Boeing 737 involved in China Eastern Flight 5735 indicates the crash was a deliberate act initiated from within the cockpit, rather than an accident.
- The fatal dive began when a pilot or pilots simultaneously pressed the cutoff levers for both engines, shutting down fuel flow mid-flight.
- Following the engine shutdown, the plane entered a steep dive and performed at least one 360-degree roll, with cockpit control wheels actively turned to produce the maneuver.
- The flight, operated by highly experienced pilots, was traveling from Kunming to Guangzhou when it plunged almost vertically into a hillside, leaving no survivors.
- Aviation experts interpret the data as evidence of a struggle for control inside the cockpit during the final moments of the flight.
