China says one of two black boxes from the China Eastern plane crash was found in severely damaged condition, an official of the aviation regulator told reporters on Wednesday.
The recorder is so damaged that they are not able to tell whether it is the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder.
Recovering the so-called black boxes is key to discovering why the Boeing 737-800 NG jet plunged out of the sky at close to the speed of sound before slamming into a hillside.
The pilots didn’t respond to calls from air-traffic controllers after the plane tipped into its nosedive, authorities said. All 123 passengers and nine crew are presumed dead.
State television reported that rescue work had been halted at the crash site Wednesday due to bad weather, broadcasting footage that showed debris and aircraft parts scattered in muddy terrain.
While officials have said it is too early to say what caused the crash, China Eastern has grounded its Boeing 737-800 fleet and thousands of flights have been cancelled.
Regulators have ordered a safety review encompassing much of the country’s aviation industry.
Key Developments:
- One black box found on Wednesday
- Pilots didn’t answer calls
- Jet plunged at almost the speed of sound, data shows
- Airline says pilots, plane were fit before flight
- Chinese regulator orders sweeping air-safety review
- Aircraft’s nosedive from 29,000 feet puzzles experts
One Black Box Found (5:13 p.m. HK)
One of the flight recorders has been found, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing officials at a briefing.
Social Media Platforms Close Accounts (4:06 p.m. HK)
Chinese social media platforms including Weibo shut down some accounts after users shared false information about the crash, according to a statement from the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Families Visit Crash Site (3:45 p.m. HK)
Guangzhou-based Nanfang Daily reported that some relatives of passengers visited the crash site to pay their respects, while sheltering under umbrellas in the rain.
Search Suspended Due to Rain (11:02 a.m. HK)
Search and rescue efforts at the crash site were halted Wednesday due to rain, Chinese state media reported, with footage on news channel CCTV showing a drenched, muddy road and idled bulldozers. The TV reporter said there is still the smell of fuel in the area.
The rain means small landslides are possible and drainage work is required, according to the report. The aircraft’s black boxes -- the data and voice recorders that are designed to withstand most crashes -- still haven’t been found, CCTV said.
NTSB Names Liaison Investigator (7:21 a.m. HK)
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board named Sathya Silva as its representative for the investigation into the China Eastern crash.
The NTSB said it is in contact with the Civil Aviation Administration of China and will support its probe with technical advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and engine-maker CFM “in all ways necessary."
According to LinkedIn, Silva is an ex-Boeing safety engineer, a former flight controller at the United Space Alliance, and used to be a researcher for NASA. She has worked at the NTSB for almost six years.
Jet Dived Near Speed of Sound (5:50 a.m. HK)
The jet was traveling at close to the speed of sound in the moments before it slammed into a hillside, according to a Bloomberg News review of flight-track data.
Such an impact may complicate the task for investigators because it can obliterate evidence and, in rare cases, damage a plane’s data and voice recorders that are designed to withstand most crashes. The Boeing 737-800 was knifing through the air at more than 640 miles (966 kilometers) per hour, and at times may have exceeded 700 mph, according to data from Flightradar24, a website that tracks planes.
No Response (9:54 p.m. HK)
Air-traffic controllers tried multiple times to reach the pilots after Flight MU5735 tipped into a deadly dive, but received no response to their calls, an official with China’s Civil Aviation Administration said at a press briefing.
The plane disappeared from radar screens at 2:23 p.m. local time, three minutes after it started a steep descent, the official, Zhu Tao, said at the end of the first full day of searching through the wreckage.
Plane, Pilots Fit (9:54 p.m. HK)
The Boeing jet met airworthiness standards before taking off, and technical conditions were stable, China Eastern official Sun Shiying said at a briefing, according to the South China Morning Post. The nine crew members were experienced and in good health, he said, according to the newspaper.
Rough Terrain (9:54 p.m. HK)
Video footage showed dozens of rescue workers, some in military uniforms, using shovels to dig through a hillside littered with debris. They found wallets and bank cards belonging to some passengers, China state television reported.
Air-Safety Review (8:48 p.m. HK)
China’s aviation regulator ordered a two-week safety review encompassing air-traffic control bureaus, airlines, airports and flight-training organizations.
China Eastern is also beefing up cockpit crew requirements on at least some aircraft types. Two senior captains, with an instructor in the lead, and one senior co-pilot are now required, The Paper reported. Alternatively, two flight instructors, one being the captain, can work with a senior co-pilot, the Chinese news outlet said, citing people who worked at China Eastern.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
