Originally published at: NTSB Data Points To Fuel Cutoff In Deadly China Eastern 737 Crash
New NTSB data indicate both engines on China Eastern Flight MU5735 were shut down mid-flight.
The NTSB lab did an incredible job recovering data. It is curious in the narrative why Chinese investigators ever applied power to try a recovery of these damaged recorders.
What is further curious is why the NTSB did not retain CVR recordings or if they assisted with transcription. By this I mean: did ICAO Annex 13 permit the NTSB to retain such information? Or was it a special negotiation.
Lastly, is the president of China really the one running the investigation, as some media reports suggested. That sounds weird.
It’s inexplicable and illogical for China’s aviation investigation agency, if it exists, not issuing a conclusive report as most nations adhere to fact finding leading to a likely explanation of a crash involving commercial aircraft. Being accustomed to NTSB reports issued as long as two years after a crash from exhaustive fact gathering and analysis from many disciplines, Boeing’s formal involvement in retrieving data from its FDR and interpretation appears to be at least one reason for the crash. There’s one NTSB report about an Egypt Air flight crash pointing to both pilots at the controls, one pulling while the other pushing the flight yoke with voice records until crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. Egypt refused to point blame to the pilot pushing his flight control downward while shouting Allah.
“The NTSB emphasized that it is not the lead investigative authority and that any final determination of cause rests with Chinese officials”… My question is why the NTSB would act as if there could possibly be any other CAUSE of the crash if they are certain the engines were cut off simultaneously by deferring to the Chinese for final determination. Why would they use such language. Are they being directed by Boeing to appease their big Chinese customer to prevent being cut off for telling the truth? Can these aircraft fly happily along over the mountains without running engines? Can the engine cutoff switches turn off all by themselves? Can the NTSB truly be impartial if Boeing is drafting their language?? Or is what they mean that they have no idea WHY the pilot cutoff the engines? But that wouldn’t be an NTSB concern, so why the language?