A newly released report indicates a possible struggle inside the cockpit of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 before it crashed into a mountain in March 2022, killing all 132 people on board. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report found that the fuel switches for both engines were moved from the run to the cut-off position mid-flight, causing engine speeds to drop and the plane to plunge nearly vertically from 29,000 feet.
The jet was en route from Kunming to Guangzhou when it entered a nosedive, briefly recovered, then slammed into a mountain, leaving a 65-foot crater and igniting a forest fire. Chinese investigators reported no abnormalities with the plane, crew, or weather, and the crew had not reported any problems before losing contact.
Data from the cockpit shows the control wheels moved in a back-and-forth pattern during the dive, which aviation experts say suggests a struggle. Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB investigator, told the Associated Press that this pattern indicates two pilots may have been trying to control the aircraft in opposite directions simultaneously. He described the movements as aggressive and intentional, similar to aerobatic manoeuvres.
Retired airline pilot John Cox noted that the fuel levers on a 737 cannot be easily bumped; they must be deliberately pulled out and moved. He said the irregular control wheel movement suggests a struggle, though the evidence is not conclusive. The cockpit voice recorder may provide further clues, but no transcript has been released. The NTSB report was released under the Freedom of Information Act, as the plane and engines were American-made.
