Data: China Eastern plane was deliberately crashed in 2022

US Safety Board indicates that the fuel supply to both engines of MU5735 was switched off before the crash

Beijing: Newly released data from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicates that the fuel supply to both engines of China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 was manually switched off before it crashed in March 2022. The Boeing 737-800 plunged 29,000 feet into a mountain in Guangxi, killing all 132 people on board.

The flight data recorder shows the switches moved from the run to the cutoff position simultaneously. Avia­tion safety analyst David Soucie noted on this aircraft model, a pilot must physically pull the switch up to move it to cutoff, suggesting a deliberate act. Soucie added the lack of any attempt to move the switches back to the on position implies there was no effort to restart the engines.

While the Civil Aviation Administration of China has previously denied the crash was intentional, the NTSB findings have brought fresh scrutiny to the disaster. 

Expert Tony Stanton of Strategic Air cautioned that while the data does not prove motive, the sequence is difficult to reconcile with mechanical failure. US investigators have provided four voice recordings to the CAAC for further analysis, though the NTSB did not retain copies of these audio files.

–Agencies