Analysis of the 2022 China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 crash, which killed all 132 people on board, points to a violent struggle between the captain and co-pilot inside the cockpit. Experts reviewing data from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report conclude that deliberate actions triggered the plane’s sudden vertical plunge.
NTSB Data Shows Intentional Maneuvers
Aviation specialists examining black box recordings and flight data identify inputs consistent with a physical altercation. The aircraft executed a full 360-degree turn during its descent, a maneuver experts attribute to the pilots wrestling for control. Sharp angles in seating positions further suggest crew members braced intensely amid the chaos.
NTSB Deputy Director Anthony Brickhouse states that flight data indicating manual adjustments to the throttle levers points to purposeful engine cutoff. “The engine failure and abrupt turn represent artificial conditions,” he explains. “Even irregular cockpit movements indicate turbulence from the crew members themselves.”
Crash Sequence and Evidence
On March 21, 2022, China Eastern Flight MU5735 plummeted from 29,000 meters over Wuzhou, China, after a rapid vertical drop. All 132 passengers and crew perished. Investigators note the plane’s extreme maneuvers, including a high-speed dive, align with intentional inputs rather than mechanical failure.
Seating data reveals crew members shifted irregularly toward the right side of the cockpit, supporting theories of a directed struggle. No prior cause has been officially confirmed by Chinese authorities, though vertical acceleration remains a key focus.
Official Responses Remain Limited
China’s aviation authorities and the airline have not addressed the NTSB findings. Sources confirm no formal reply to the report, leaving international questions unresolved four years later.
