China Eastern Airlines operated a Boeing 737-8800 passenger jet that crashed in China. The plane was carrying 132 people. A video has been made of the aircraft’s nosedive into the ground, and its aftermath.
As with all video, discretion should be exercised by the viewer.
Major #planecrashIn #ChinaA Boeing 737 aircraft crashed into mountains. 132 people were aboard.
CCTV footage can be seen showing the aircraft falling. pic.twitter.com/sMmbZjMSO4— Rajan Kumar Jha (@RealRajanjha) March 21, 2022
First minutes following the Boeing 737 accident in South China. Eyewitnesses published the video. pic.twitter.com/jWdgiq9iSH
— Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil (@ivan_8848) March 21, 2022
Many things are still unknown, however I’m a multi-engine commercial pilot and flight instructor.
The flight data shows that the descent began at approximately 30,000 feet. It could have been a structural problem that led to a loss or an abrupt stall at high altitude (which is possible even when flying at normal speeds). Was the recovery process rushed by the pilots or was the failure of the flight control system? Only 3 minutes elapsed before impact.
A multi-engine plane can also end up on its back and in a dive due to what’s called VMC roll, which means you’ve taken the plane below its minimum controllable airspeed on a single-engine (I’m assuming an engine failure in this speculation). The plane could be spun around if it is not dealt with immediately and correctly. We only see its tail end of the descent. The plane does not appear to be in spin in the video. It’s possible enough speed was gained to break the stall condition and exit the spin, but the plane was damaged to the point where recovery was impossible.
Additionally, I think the video’s weather is poor. This leads me to believe they were IMC (i.e. It was in the clouds when it happened. This could cause disorientation. However, a 737800 at 30,000ft would have had autopilot. However, pilots may not have been able to see outside the window if they were caught off guard by the high-altitude stall.
Chinese airlines have a reputation for staffing low-time pilots who were put through “pilot mills.” The minimum time Americans pilots are required to possess and the breadth of experience most have by the time they reach a major airline (i.e. It operates a Boeing 737-800. This is far more than your average Asian airline pilot. Pilot error is the most likely cause of crashes.
Again, though, I’m deep in speculation and worst-case scenarios at this point. This could also be a mechanical event, as was the case with the 737 Max crashes. Those are still grounded. I would think a 737-800 would have some kind of automated high-altitude stall protection, but I can’t say for certain.
It is unknown how open the Chinese will be to providing answers. As more information is released, we’ll keep you updated.
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