One of the great things about the aviation industry is that we collectively learn from every accident, and that causes the industry to become safer over time. Along those lines, China is outright refusing to disclose the cause of the country’s most fatal accident in history (the deadliest in 30 years), over “national security and social stability” concerns.
In this post:
China refuses to reveal accident investigation results
In March 2022, we saw a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 crash while operating a domestic flight within China. This was a mysterious accident, as the plane suddenly entered a nosedive while at cruise altitude, and crashed into the ground. To state the obvious, these kinds of accidents are exceedingly rare.
As you’d expect, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) was leading the investigation, though transparency hasn’t exactly been a priority. Around two years after the accident, the CAAC issued an updated report, claiming that the crash was “very complicated and rare.”
While regulators didn’t state what caused the accident, they ruled out many factors. The agency reported there were no abnormalities with aircraft control commands or with radio communication, there was no bad weather in the area, the plane wasn’t carrying any dangerous goods, and the pilots were fully certified. As you might guess, that revealed very little about the actual cause of the investigation.
So there’s now a concerning update, as flagged by Jon Ostrower. A government information disclosure request was filed in China regarding this accident, demanding more details on the progress of the investigation. That request was denied by the CAAC. The reason? “Disclosure may endanger national security and social stability.” This decision was made in accordance with Article 14 and Article 36(3) of the Regulations on the Disclosure of Government Information.
This is a very alarming precedent to set
What can really be said here? I just find it unconscionable that a government would actively cover up the results of an accident investigation, based on the fear that “disclosure may endanger national security and social stability.”
In the weeks following the accident, sources with knowledge of the matter (but not speaking on the record) suggested that the accident was intentional. Now, that doesn’t tell us who caused the plane to crash.
More often than not, if someone takes down the plane intentionally with no communication to air traffic control, it’s one of the pilots, since they’re the ones with access to the flight deck. Of course another form of terrorism also can’t be ruled out.
The issue with not revealing the details of an investigation is that nothing can be learned from it, and aviation can’t get safer. For example, if the country believes it was one of the pilots who took down the plane, has a two person flight deck rule been implemented, to ensure there are always at least two people in the flight deck? After all, historically most pilot suicides have occurred when pilots were alone in the flight deck.
It’s really hard to have faith in the safety of an aviation ecosystem when regulators aren’t even willing to be transparent about the cause of an accident.
Bottom line
China is refusing to reveal the cause of a March 2022 China Eastern Boeing 737 accident, which was the country’s deadliest aviation accident in three decades. An official report has ruled out a lot of factors, but regulators are refusing to share anything further, claiming that “disclosure may endanger national security and social stability.”
What do you make of China’s refusal to share the cause of the 2022 China Eastern accident?
This crash has bothered me since. I wait and wait and still nothing on why; no report no preliminary report, nothing. Not right, Its a boeing 737 for crying out loud. This MATTERS-THE PASSENGERS AND FLIGHT CREW AND THEIR FAMILIES-HOW CAN THEY NOT tell us?
Total blackout by the Chinese seals their fate on the theories, rumours and gossip tredmill... For instance:
Strictly confidential: The B737-8 had been replaced at the last minute by a C-919. Nobody except Chinese officials and workers saw the crash site or wreckage, so this cannot be excluded. The Boeing supposed to have had the accident would have been swiftly removed from service, hidden in a hangar and entirely converted into spare parts.
When those...
Total blackout by the Chinese seals their fate on the theories, rumours and gossip tredmill... For instance:
Strictly confidential: The B737-8 had been replaced at the last minute by a C-919. Nobody except Chinese officials and workers saw the crash site or wreckage, so this cannot be excluded. The Boeing supposed to have had the accident would have been swiftly removed from service, hidden in a hangar and entirely converted into spare parts.
When those in power in China realize that hiding the truth opens the door to the most outlandish theories, including those most nefarious for China's image, then maybe they will become more forthcoming. In the meantime, keep enjoying the rumours mill.
Boeing and Airbus should refrain from selling airplanes and parts to China unless they disclose cause of crash. That may put the fire under this release of information.
The CAAC could inform B & A unofficially what cause was...then it can be leaked and China can say they did not release the information.
great idea
If this is a pilot suicide, does it mean that he killed the copilot ?
Because the pilot alone cannot crash the aircraft if there is the copilot. This is maybe the reason why they don’t to disclose the facts
Eurowings Barcelona-Dusseldorf anybody ?
I didn't remember this crash and searched the internet, I understand now
This would imply that it was pilot suicide. Why else would the government want to hide the findings, if not to save face.
Well they were able to gaslight the UN, WHO, and much of the more gullible people of the world into believing covid was caused by bats, so I guess I don't blame them for trying again.
I mean… isn’t it obvious? You don’t need to spill the beans to convey a message. Any intellectual knows what happened.
So what? Is EU 100% safe from the German wings incident ?
Exactly what we are doing as a country and saw with the SCOTUS rulings today. There will be no truth left in the world soon. Everything will be allowed under the guise of "national security."
CCP doesn't care about human life - just like the Tiananmen Square Massacre - they want to erase the truth and want people to forget about it.
I am going to vote with my wallet here. Not happening normally, I know but who in his right mind would in good conscience fly with an airline from this country again (if there are alternatives). This just blows my mind.
Those damn commies.
Perhaps the UN should stop bothering India and go volunteer its services to China.
Yes, let us stop bothering the country in which you are peed on (several times) in C and in which the deadliest disaster of the last decade took place
But joke aside, I'm with you in that China is let off way to easy normally.
May be its better to be peed on (several times) than abducted by masked goons for made up reasons and thrown into jail. Its even better than keeping brain dead people alive purely in the name of being “pro life”.
How to admit it was pilot suicide without admitting it was pilot suicide. Well done.
Finding the cause doesn't always prevent future incidents. I mean, America has known the cause for mass shootings for years and places like Australia has demonstrated how to reduce such incidents, and yet we continue to deny and allow it to continue.
It's not great that China is hiding it, but even if we know the cause, it also doesn't mean something will be done about it.
I just think they don't know the Streisand effect. Trying to hide such stuff doesn't bring confidence, it is a breeding ground for conspiracy theories and does more harm than good. Stupid move if CCP.
I would lean toward pilot suicide, and the CCP doesn't want anything about it leaking out because they don't want any potential doubts about the safety of air travel as they try to expand their aviation industry. China (and much of Asia) don't have a great track record of dealing with mental illness or harsh working environments so attributing it to suicide would bring an unwelcome spotlight to a problem the CCP doesn't want to...
I would lean toward pilot suicide, and the CCP doesn't want anything about it leaking out because they don't want any potential doubts about the safety of air travel as they try to expand their aviation industry. China (and much of Asia) don't have a great track record of dealing with mental illness or harsh working environments so attributing it to suicide would bring an unwelcome spotlight to a problem the CCP doesn't want to acknowledge.
Mental illness and work culture aren't something they can "fix" in the same way a technical or safety issue can be resolved with technical solutions. They can't simply scapegoat a foreign company like Boeing for the problem. So they'll sweep it under the rug.
Ironically, not being honest about the crash probably causes as much doubt about the safety of air travel in China as being open about it.
Was Sum Ting Wong? Lol
Maybe they were Wi Tu Lo?
Always thought it was Ho Li Fuk.
No, according to the Chinese government it was a case of Nga Ting Wong.
It's just another day at the CCP. Truth will be buried. There is no freedom of the press, let alone other types of freedom.
Yes, CCP is all about cover up - lies lies lies. Absolutely no little freedom.
Add America to that now as well
The pilot tanked the plane. End of discussion.
Yeap my money is on the Chinese version of the German wings crash.
Pretty clear either someone attempted a hijack, or the pilot crashed it.
If it was mechanical, China could point the finger at Boeing and wipe their hands of it. Anyone with more than five brain cells can see why they won't state what happened in the name of "social harmony"
Come on, telling the truth might discourage the army of YouTubers that they're paying to publish gushing vlogs about how awesome the PRC is while making no critical comments whatsoever. It's all perfect. And continues to be, because we will pretend that accidents never happened.
I assume this means the military accidentally shot down the plane.
Could also be pilot suicide? (e.g. Germanwings)
@AG
I thought about a missile too, but per the Wikipedia article, the available evidence points to a rerun of Egyptair 990.
The CCP could have fabricated some evidence but it would have been quite a major undertaking to do so.
The video of the crash pretty much rules out missile or mechanical as the root cause.
Pilot suicide/mental wouldn't cause national security concern/instability. Either not wanting to expose military secrets from above theory, VIP onboard that someone wanted dead or other political sabotage are possibilities.
All I can tell you is China knows what it's doing, and westerners know nothing.
Miss me with the critiques of their respective forms of government. Unbridled democratic values in the United States gave rise to the current administration which is known worldwide as a disaster and embarrassment.
Meanwhile even China's tier-2 cities look like they are a thousand years more modern than anywhere in the US/EU. It was 100 degrees earlier this week in...
All I can tell you is China knows what it's doing, and westerners know nothing.
Miss me with the critiques of their respective forms of government. Unbridled democratic values in the United States gave rise to the current administration which is known worldwide as a disaster and embarrassment.
Meanwhile even China's tier-2 cities look like they are a thousand years more modern than anywhere in the US/EU. It was 100 degrees earlier this week in New York City where the subway platforms don't have air conditioning making it feel like 120+ out there WHILE AT THE SAME TIME putatively Class A and A-rated for energy efficiency office buildings in that city were pumping out air conditioning at 60 degrees, wasting energy and forcing salarymen to bring puffer vests to work.
Give me Xi over the GOP ANY DAY. (Posted from a Class A building in Midtown Manhattan on my lunch break.)
What’s a 7 figure-salary lawyer in a top NY law firm doing sweating in the subway??
Because he is the janitor in that Class A building in Midtown Manhattan
And giving handjobs to make ends meet. He's a loser, really.
You're comment reads like an edgy 16-year old who thinks they have this "enlightened view" on the world after watching HasanAbi and pro-CCP TikToks for 16 hours straight. Then I saw your username, and my suspicions were confirmed.
I hope you get to do your dream trip to China someday. I hope you get to visit Chongqing and all of the other "tier-2 cities that look like they are a thousand years more modern than...
You're comment reads like an edgy 16-year old who thinks they have this "enlightened view" on the world after watching HasanAbi and pro-CCP TikToks for 16 hours straight. Then I saw your username, and my suspicions were confirmed.
I hope you get to do your dream trip to China someday. I hope you get to visit Chongqing and all of the other "tier-2 cities that look like they are a thousand years more modern than anywhere in the US/EU." I hope you get to ride all the maglev bullet trains your heart desires. But do yourself a favor, and don't drink the tap water while you're there.
I'm not gonna comment further on this matter. I'm not looking to get into an online debate right now. I just want you to know you're not fooling anyone with your nonsense.
You are deluded beeyotch
When you state not to drink the yap water; are you implying that all bottled water is safe? Trust nothing would be a safer policy.
Quality bait, 7/10
On the bright side, at least this time it wasn’t Boeing’s fault. If it had been then it would have made the news in record time.
If it was Boeing’s fault, China would have acted very differently. They would have grounded the NGs for years like they did with the MAX from 2019. China’s response to this crash is very telling on whether Boeing was to blame here.