China's aviation regulator released a report to disclose the latest progress on the China Eastern MU5735 crash probe on Monday, one year after the incident happened, saying that a technical investigation team has carried out a great deal of work on the case including onsite inspection, personnel interviews and experimental analysis, but since the case is "very complicated and extremely rare," the investigation is still ongoing.
Chinese experts said that it is a common requirement and practice in the international civil aviation industry to disclose relevant investigation progress information to the public on the anniversary of the incident. But the disclosure is determined by the actual complexity and progress of the investigation, and the current situation indicates that the investigation will take a longer time, experts said.
The report, which was released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said it will continue to carry out investigation work and release relevant information in a timely manner according to the progress of the investigation.
China Eastern Boeing 737-800 with 132 people onboard crashed in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 21 last year.
The technical investigation team has conducted detailed inspections on the wreckage of the aircraft to determine the possible working status of the aircraft's key control components before the crash, conducted experiments on more than 100 significant pieces of wreckage, and analyzed the cause of damage, read the statement.
It also carried out investigations into maintenance, airline organization and management work, as well as air traffic control services, airport ground support, and security checks and loading of passengers, luggage, cargo, and dangerous goods. Investigations into the final flight status of the aircraft based on relevant data analysis were also carried out, CAAC said.
The regulator said in the Monday statement that in accordance with both domestic and international industry rules and together with the relevant parties, it has conducted an in-depth, detailed and rigorous technical investigation into the crash over the past year.
Historically, Air France AF447, Ethiopian Airlines B737MAX and other accidents have issued interim reports or interim statements to introduce the progress of the investigation and respond to the concerns of the families of the victims and society, experts said. Experts noted that the investigation cycle of large-scale transport aviation accidents often takes more than one year, which is mainly due to the technical complexity and uncertainties faced by the investigation.