Black box flight recorder found in China Eastern wreckage
One of the black box flight recorders, a key for determining the cause of the China Eastern Airlines crash, was found today by aviation investigators searching the wreckage. The Boeing 737-800, known as the workhorse in commercial aviation and one of the safest aircraft, suddenly declined into a nosedive during a flight from Kunming to Guangzhou carrying 132 people, crashing into southern China’s Guangxi region. Researchers searching the wreckage of flight MU5735 say there are no survivors.
The sudden and steep decline of the passenger jet, dropping from its cruise altitude of 8,840 metres (29,000 feet) to 2,255 metres (7,400 feet) in a matter of minutes, has baffled experts. The black box contain data, including voice recordings from the cockpit as well as plane performance, is hoped to hold clues as to why the aircraft suddenly plummeted.
The aviation director at the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Zhu Tao, says the aircraft was severely damaged in the high-impact crash which has made the investigation difficult, adding that it is impossible to clearly pinpoint the cause of the crash this early in the investigation.
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SOURCE: South China Morning Post
