What is China Hiding Concerning Flight MU5735?

Flight safety depends on openness. However, it seems that the CCP has other priorities.

China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 (MU5735) was a domestic passenger flight out of Kunming, in Yunnan province, China. An hour after it took off on 21st March 2022, the aircraft, a Boeing 737-89P, suddenly descended more than 20,000 feet in just over a minute:

It struck the ground at high speed. All 132 souls on board were lost; there were no survivors.

Over three years have now passed, and the official report has still not been released. Last week, a Hong Kong newspaper, the Dimsum Daily, reported that the annual accident investigation progress report will be permanently withheld due to:

…potential risks to national security and societal stability if disclosed to the public

This is highly irregular. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and recommended practices, Annex 13, clause 6.5 state that:

In the interests of accident prevention, the state conducting the investigation of an accident or incident shall make the Final Report publicly available as soon as possible and, if possible within twelve months.

The standard continues in clause 6.6:

If the report cannot be made publicly available within twelve months, the state conducting the investigation shall make a statement publicly available on each anniversary of the occurrance, detailing the progress of the investigation and any safety issues raised.

Thus, the decision by the Chinese authorities (the Civil Aviation Administration of China or CAAC) is in direct contravention of international accident investigation standards. This raises many concerns and questions, such as: Is safety now being compromised for political convenience? And: What is the CCP hiding?

The flight voice and data recorders were analysed in Washington. A report in the 17th May 2022 Wall Street Journal claimed its source as US government officials involved in the investigation. This report asserted that the aircraft had been deliberately crashed. A similar report was aired on ABC News, which reported that:

The China Eastern Airlines plane crash that killed 132 people is believed to have been caused by an intentional act, according to U.S. officials who spoke to ABC News.

What happened in the cockpit and why revealing it would threaten Chinese “national security” and “social stability” remains unknown.