A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in mountains in southern China on a domestic flight on Monday after a sudden descent from cruising altitude. Media said there were no signs of survivors.
Highlights
- NEW: Chinese media show dashcam footage apparently showing jet diving to the ground behind trees.
- NEW: China Eastern Airlines grounded its fleet of 737-800 planes after the crash, state media reported.
- The plane was en route from the southwestern city of Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, to Guangzhou, China’s Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong, when it crashed.
- The cause of the crash is under investigation, the airline said.
- China’s last fatal jet accident was in 2010 when 96 people on board were killed, while 96 were on board when 96 died on board in 2010, according to Aviation Safety Network.
- China Eastern is the world’s sixth-largest carrier by scheduled weekly seat capacity.