China Eastern flight MU5375: early report into deadly crash unlikely to offer many answers, analysts believe
- The Boeing 737-800 plunged into a hillside from cruising altitude on March 21, killing all 132 people on board
- China expected to submit early investigation report to ICAO by Wednesday, per international aviation law
However, the report to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – a United Nations body – is likely to only contain basic facts garnered by investigators, according to air accident specialists, and not analyses and conclusions on why the Boeing 737-800 plunged from a cruising altitude.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which is leading the investigation, needs to submit a preliminary report to the ICAO within 30 days of the crash, according to international aviation law. The report will also be sent to the United States, where the aircraft was built.
The CAAC has said the preliminary report would not be made public.
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All 132 people on board China Eastern Air crash confirmed dead as second black box recovered
The flight, carrying 123 passengers and nine crew, dived from an altitude of 8,870 metres (29,100 feet) on March 21 as fast as 560km/h (31,000 feet per minute or 348mph), according to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24. It levelled off and climbed for just 15 seconds before plunging into a hillside in Wuzhou in China’s southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
