China Eastern Airlines Crash: Expert Says Pilots Fought for Aircraft Control

Central News Agency (CNA) — (Taipei, May 9) Regarding the China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 crash in March 2022, an American aviation expert stated that someone intentionally caused the plane to dive, and there was a struggle for control in the cockpit. The China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 crash in 2022 resulted in 132 fatalities. At that time, the plane was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou, and it plunged almost vertically into a hillside, with debris embedded about 18 meters deep underground. The New York Times reported on May 8 that, according to a report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and former accident investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, Jeff Guzzetti, the plane's dive was caused by one or more pilots in flight pressing the cutoff handles of two engines, i.e., the fuel switches, causing the engines to stop operating. Guzzetti stated that data from the cockpit control devices showed that almost at the same moment, the plane dived and rotated at least 360 degrees. This was because the control sticks in front of the captain and co-pilot were both turned, causing the plane to roll. Guzzetti said that the control sticks shook violently back and forth, indicating that at least two people were fighting for control of the plane, trying to turn the control sticks in different directions. This could be two pilots fighting over the same control stick, or the captain and co-pilot pushing their respective control sticks in opposite directions, while the two control sticks were originally designed to move synchronously. Guzzetti further stated that the plane was forced to dive and roll violently, which was “a deliberate act.” Deutsche Welle Chinese previously reported that the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, at the request of an anonymous person, provided raw black box data for China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 earlier this year. This data showed that the fuel switches of two engines were cut off, and one pilot's control stick was violently pushed down. To date, the Chinese official side has not officially announced the accident investigation report and its cause. (Edited by Chen Kai-yu / Chou Hui-ying) 1150509. Choose to stand with facts, your every sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom. Download the CNA "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news. The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.