Newly released U.S. investigative data indicate that the 2022 crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 may have been precipitated by a deliberate shutdown of both engines in flight.
According to material from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, fuel control switches for both engines were moved from the “run” to “cutoff” position while the aircraft was cruising at approximately 29,000 feet.
The flight, China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735, crashed into mountainous terrain in southern China in March 2022, killing all 132 people aboard. It remains the country’s deadliest aviation accident in decades.
The newly disclosed information comes from the aircraft’s flight data recorder, recovered from the wreckage and analyzed in the U.S. due to the aircraft’s Boeing origin. The data show both engine fuel switches were moved nearly simultaneously—an action that requires deliberate pilot input on the 737.
While the findings stop short of assigning cause, they reinforce earlier speculation that the aircraft’s abrupt dive was not the result of a mechanical failure. Previous statements from Chinese investigators indicated no anomalies were found in the airplane’s systems or structure.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which is leading the investigation, has yet to release a final accident report and has provided limited public updates in the years since the crash.
The NTSB emphasized that it is not the lead investigative authority and that any final determination of cause rests with Chinese officials.