By James Simons-
Aviation experts are to investigate Monday’s crash in China , after one of the safest planes in the world p the safest in the world, which could raise questions about one of the industry’s workhorses, the Boeing 737-800 NG.
China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crashed in the mountains of southern China, leaving the fate of its 132 passengers and crew members unknown. No survivors had been found as the search continued Tuesday, according to Chinese state media.
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Investigators are expected to use flight recordings and the final minutes of air traffic control communication to determine the cause of the crash.
The plane lost contact over Wuzhou during a flight between the southern cities of Kunming and Guangzhou, the airline and the country’s Civil Aviation Administration said. The latter is leading the investigation.
“They will be looking for the flight data recorder and the voice data recorder from the crash site, because they hold vital information to really know what occurred during the last moments before the aircraft’s descent. That will be important,” said Hassan Shahidi, the president of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes aviation safety.
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Investigators also will delve into the maintenance history of the aircraft and its engine, the recent training of the flight crew and the pilot’s experience, he said.
Investigators also want to know the communications between the pilot and air traffic control in the minutes leading up to the crash.
The 737-800 NG, or Next Generation fleet has recorded only 11 fatal accidents out of more than 7,000 planes that have been delivered since 1997, according to the aviation consultancy Cirium.
Over 4,200 of the planes are in passenger service, about 17 percent of the world’s fleet, according to the group. Of those, 1,177 in China. All four major U.S. carriers operate the aircraft, Cirium said.
“The 737 NG has been in operation for 25 years and has an excellent safety record,” said Paul Hayes, Cirium’s director of air safety and insurance.
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