The jet crashed in the mountains of Guangxi, killing all 132 aboard.
Washington:
Flight data from a black box recovered from a China Eastern Airlines jet that crashed in March indicates that someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane, wall street journal US officials reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the initial assessment.
A Western official told Reuters the initial investigation focused on the crew’s actions after finding no signs of a technical fault.
The Boeing Company, the maker of the jet, declined to comment and sent questions to Chinese regulators. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) did not immediately comment.
In March, a Boeing 737-800 jet, en route from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in the mountains of Guangxi after a sudden fall from a height, killing all 123 passengers and nine crew members. It was mainland China’s deadliest aviation disaster in 28 years.
In mid-April, China Eastern resumed use of 737-800 aircraft. According to experts, in a summary of their initial crash report last month, Chinese regulators did not point to any technical recommendations on the 737-800, which has been in service with a strong safety record since 1997.
NTSB President Jennifer Homendy said in a Reuters interview on May 10 that investigators on board and Boeing had traveled to China to assist with the Chinese investigation. She noted that the investigation so far did not find any security issues that would require immediate action.
Homendy said the board would “immediately issue safety recommendations” if there are any safety concerns.
Boeing shares were up 5.9% in afternoon trading.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)