Notes on Flight MU-5735 Crash

Overview

• Date of Incident: 21st March 2022
• Flight: MU-5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou, China
• Duration: 2-hour normal passenger flight
• Incident Time: 2:20 PM (approximately 1 hour after takeoff)
• Crash Description: Rapid altitude loss, crashed into a hill in less than 2 minutes.

Flight Details

• Takeoff: Normal conditions observed during takeoff.
• Altitude: Maintained 29,000 feet for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Descent Rate: Approximately 10,000 feet per minute during the descent.
• Video Evidence: Plane captured in a nose-dive, falling vertically.

Casualties

• All passengers presumed dead.
• Incident considered one of the worst aviation disasters in China.

Investigation Status

• Black Boxes: One found; damaged externally but internal records intact.
• Search Operations: Complicated by heavy rainfall and challenging terrain (hills and forests).
• Weather Conditions: Normal at the time of the crash, visibility over 10 miles.

Possible Causes for Crash

• Theories include:
  • Technical Malfunction: Possible engine failure or other mechanical issues.
  • Pilot Intent: Speculation about deliberate actions by the pilot, including potential suicide.
  • Terrorist Attack: Considered but less likely than other explanations.
  • Pilot Health Issues: Possibility of the pilot fainting.
  • Weather-Related Issues: Considered but weather was normal.

Expert Opinions

• Neil Hansford (Aviation Expert):
  • Unlikely to be an accident due to the nature of the descent.
  • Previous similar incidents (e.g., Air France Flight 447) involved slower descents.
• Michael Daniel (FAA Investigator):
  • Likely intentional action, citing historical precedents (Egypt Air Flight 990, SilkAir Flight 185).

Concerns Over Aircraft Model

• Boeing 737-800: Known for reliability; not same model as previous crashes (737-MAX).
• Previous model-related crashes were due to software issues, but not applicable in this case.

Conspiracy Theories

• Speculation within Chinese social media, including blame on America related to geopolitical tensions.

Safety Statistics

• Air travel is statistically very safe:
  • Boeing 737 series: 0.07 crashes per million flights.
  • Airbus A300: 0.46 per million flights.
  • Airbus A310: 1.35 per million flights.

Conclusion

• Current evidence suggests potential foul play or pilot error.
• Further investigation needed to understand the motivations behind the crash.
• Travelling by air remains one of the safest modes of transport.