China Eastern crash: searchers find engine parts belonging to Boeing 737

Chinese authorities suspect they have found engine parts from the China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet that crashed in southern China on March 21, 2022.  

According to media reports from China on March 24, rescuers reportedly found engine parts belonging to the Boeing 737-800 jet, registered B-1791, which crashed while carrying out flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou in China. China’s CCTV News reported that the wreckage of the engine was found at the crash site in the Guangxi mountains, located in the southern region of the country. 

The previous day, on March 23, 2022, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that the search and rescue team had found and recovered a black box, which was determined to be a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). During a media briefing, the head of the accident investigation department at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Mao Yanfeng said that the black box’s exterior was severely damaged. However, the second black box has not yet been found.  

The CAAC indicated that all three pilots were in good health and that their medical records were valid. The weather also did not pose any threat to the Boeing 737-800 on the day of the crash. 

DS-B data showed the aircraft was cruising at 29,100 feet at 06:20 UTC, before rapidly losing altitude and plunging to 3,225 feet when contact was lost. According to flight-tracking data, the final descent rate of the jet was 31,000 feet per minute. 

So far, no survivors have been found.