NTSB data suggests both engines shut off and cockpit struggle came before 2022 China plane crash

U.S. investigators have revealed that both engines were deliberately shut off before a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed into a mountainside in 2022, killing all 132 people aboard. The new evidence, released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on May 1 in response to a public records request, provides the clearest explanation yet of what caused the catastrophic crash.

The NTSB’s analysis of the flight data recorder suggests a possible cockpit struggle occurred before the plane plummeted from the sky. As an American-made aircraft with American engines, the NTSB became involved in the investigation, bringing their world-renowned expertise in analyzing black box data to the case.

Aviation safety experts examining the data have concluded that the fuel to both engines was intentionally cut off and the aircraft was deliberately sent into a nosedive with a 360-degree roll. John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and an aviation safety expert, noted that the fuel levers in a Boeing 737 have safeguards to prevent accidental shutoff.

“By design, the fuel levers in a 737 cannot be easily bumped or shut off inadvertently—someone has to pull them out to release them before they will move,” Cox explained. “The levers lock into place, so it’s likely that someone deliberately moved them both to the cutoff position.”

The flight data recorder stopped functioning when the plane was still at 26,000 feet after all hydraulic systems lost power. However, the cockpit voice recorder, which had battery backup, continued working. The NTSB did not release transcripts from this recorder, as that responsibility falls to Chinese authorities.

Jeff Guzzetti, former crash investigator for both the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration, believes the flight data points to a possible pilot suicide, similar to previous incidents such as the 2015 Germanwings crash in the French Alps.

“Typically when you want to roll an airplane, it’s a smooth movement of the control wheel in one direction,” Guzzetti said. “But here you have it moving back and forth, back and forth, as if someone is trying to counter the initial movement of the roll. So it’s not conclusive, but it sure has the earmarks of a struggle in the cockpit.”

The case has reignited concerns about pilot mental health screening in the aviation industry. Many pilots avoid seeking help for fear of losing their medical certification, which would ground them without pay, potentially for months. The recertification process after a mental health evaluation can be arduous and lengthy, and some countries prohibit pilots from taking common psychiatric medications like antidepressants.

China Eastern Flight MU5735 was traveling from Kunming in southwestern China to Guangzhou near Hong Kong on March 21, 2022, when it suddenly entered a nosedive from 29,000 feet. Although it appeared to briefly recover, the aircraft ultimately slammed into a mountain, creating a 65-foot crater and igniting a forest fire. The crew had reported no issues before losing contact with air traffic control.

Notably, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has yet to release its final report on the crash, despite international standards that recommend publishing findings approximately one year after such incidents. When Chinese investigators initially spoke about the crash, they indicated no abnormalities were found with the plane, crew, or external factors like weather.

The crash represented a rare safety failure for China’s airline industry, which had significantly improved its safety record following several deadly incidents in the 1990s. China Eastern Airlines, one of the country’s four major state-owned carriers, had maintained a strong safety record prior to this incident.

This is not the first suspected case of pilot suicide in commercial aviation. Guzzetti referenced the 1999 EgyptAir crash off the coast of New York, believed to have been deliberately caused by the co-pilot. More recently, in 2023, an off-duty pilot who had taken psychedelic mushrooms attempted to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight while riding in the cockpit.

As the investigation continues, aviation experts await the official conclusion from Chinese authorities, which would provide more definitive answers about the circumstances leading to this tragedy.