Friday’s search for the second “black box”, which was still missing from the plane’s wreckage, continued.
Many people in white hazmat suits comb the debris field and impact zone along steep slopes. They were looking for the flight data recorder and bits of wreckage, as well as the belongings and body parts from the 132 passengers who died in the crash.
The task has been made more difficult by persistent rain. Due to the remoteness of the location, dogs and hand tools were required.
Numerous large pieces of the fuselage and wings were also found.
Workers have been pumping rainwater to aid the search for the China Eastern Boeing 737-8800. It left a hole 20 meters deep (65 feet) when it fell from Monday’s sky.
According to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, talks are ongoing with China regarding the dispatch of an expert to assist in the investigation. This is common when planes involved were made by American manufacturers.
The current restrictions on travel to China are visa and COVID requirements. Peter Knudson, spokesperson for NTSB, stated that they are working with the Department of State in order to resolve these issues with China before travel is determined.
China Eastern, one China’s four largest airlines, announced Thursday that the Shanghai-based carrier and its subsidiaries had grounded 223 Boeing 737-8800 aircraft as they investigate safety risks.
China Eastern stated earlier that the grounding of planes was an act of precaution and not an indication that there was any problem. According to the airline, the plane that crashed was in good shape and its crew were well-trained and healthy.
The plane crashed while flying from Kunming (the capital of Yunnan Province in China’s mountainous southwest) to Guangzhou (a major city and hub for export manufacturing in the southeast). According to authorities, there were no foreign passengers on board.
Investigators say it is too soon to speculate on possible causes. Officials have stated that an air traffic controller attempted to contact the pilots multiple times after seeing the plane’s altitude fall sharply, but received no response.
Flight MU5735 was at 29,000 feet (8.800 meters) when it crashed. This fire can be seen in NASA satellite imagery.
These “black boxes”, which are usually painted orange to make them easy to find, are key to finding out the cause of the crash. They are typically stored in the tail of the plane, where they are most likely survive a crash.
Investigators found the first flight recorder relatively close to the impact zone. The outer casing was severely damaged, but the interior unit was mostly intact.
Cockpit voice recorders are able to capture voices, audio alerts, and background sounds from engine or switch movements. The flight data recorder records information about altitude, speed, direction, and pilot actions, as well the performance of important systems.
