Chinese officials are accused by US authorities of concealing information that a suicidal pilot intentionally caused a plane crash claiming the lives of all 132 individuals onboard. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has indicated that China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crashed into mountains in Guangxi province due to the deliberate actions of the pilot. Allegations suggest that Beijing suppressed details regarding the March 2022 Boeing 737 crash.
Investigations revealed that the plane’s engines were manually turned off, and the autopilot disengaged, leading the aircraft to descend towards the mountains. Data retrieved from the flight recorder showed a struggle between two pilots over control as the plane descended.
According to the NTSB, it was discovered that at an altitude of 29,000 feet, the fuel switches on both engines were moved from the run position to the cut-off position, resulting in decreased engine speeds. The agency presented evidence of conflicting movements on the pilot’s controls, indicating one crew member trying to regain control while another compelled the dive.
No distress call was made by the crew during the incident, and no emergency transponder code was transmitted prior to the crash. The aviation disaster has become a highly sensitive issue in China’s recent history, with accusations of a cover-up by Beijing despite mounting demands for transparency.
Shortly after the crash, concerns regarding pilot error surfaced, with a US investigator stating that “the plane followed instructions from someone in the cockpit.” A report containing these details was reportedly removed from Chinese social media platforms.
The pilots involved in the crash were Captain Yang Hongda, 32, first officer Zhang Zhengping, 59, and trainee second officer Ni Gongtai, 27, according to reports. Speculation has centered on Zhang, a senior pilot with the airline, who allegedly lost his captaincy recently, although no official attribution of responsibility has been disclosed.
This incident is among several suspected pilot suicide-related incidents, including the deliberate crash of an Airbus into the French Alps by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz in 2015, resulting in the deaths of all 150 occupants. Speculation also surrounds the intentional pilot error as a possible cause of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in 2015, with all 239 individuals onboard presumed deceased.