China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737.Photo: Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images
One of two black boxes from theChina Eastern Airlines flight that tragically crashedin the mountains of southern China on Monday has been found.
“So the investigation team on the front-line is still ascertaining whether it is the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder,” Mao explained.
The Boeing 737-800 had 132 people aboard, including 123 passengers and nine crew members.
On Tuesday,The New York TimesandCNNreported thatno survivors have been found, citing Chinese state media.
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China Eastern Airlines plane crash site.Xinhua via Getty Images
While an investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, Mao told reporters during the briefing that the weather was not considered threatening, nor did air controllers lose contact with the plane after takeoff and before its descent,per Reuters.
“From what we know, the performance of the three pilots had been good and their family life relatively harmonious,” an official for China Eastern Airlines said during the briefing, sharing that the captain of the flight had 6,709 of flying experience while the first officer had 31,769 hours and the second had 556 hours.
On Monday afternoon, the plane was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou when it lost contact around 2:15 p.m. and crashed in the city of Wuzhou around 2:30 p.m., the CAACannounced in a statementat the time.
Videos online of the accident show the crash causing a mountain fire. The CAAC said it “activated the emergency mechanism” and sent a rescue team to the scene. Nearly 1,000 firefighters and 100 other emergency personnel were dispatched to the “heavily wooded” area,theTimesreported.
China Eastern Airlines plane crash site.STR/AFP via Getty Images
In a statement provided to PEOPLE in the wake of the tragedy, Boeing shared its condolences for the victims of the crash and said it would cooperate with the investigation.
China Eastern Airlines didn’t return PEOPLE’s request for comment but echoed similar sentiments in a statement shared Monday night,per theTimes.
“The cause of the plane crash is still under investigation, and the company will actively cooperate with relevant investigations,” China Eastern Airlines said. “The company expresses its deep condolences to the passengers and crew members who died in the plane crash.”
source: people.com
