# More than 130 dead in plane crash in China {2022-03-21} **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2022, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426 "2022-03-21T12:18:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/1 "2022-03-21T12:18:36Z")
> **[Chinese Boeing jet crashes in mountains with 132 on board, no sign of survivors](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-eastern-airlines-passenger-jet-has-accident-guangxi-state-media-says-2022-03-21/)** > > A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in mountains in southern China on Monday after a sudden plunge from cruising altitude at about the time when it would normally start to descend ahead of its landing. Not a lot known. It was a 737-800, and was cruising at altitude when it dropped from the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/2 "2022-03-21T13:01:48Z")
[China Daily article with video of crash site](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202203/21/WS62383393a310fd2b29e524a3.html). ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/3 "2022-03-21T13:34:17Z")
This is an odd one. Most times when there’s a problem it’s during take-off or landing. This plane took a nosedive midway through the flight. Some security cam footage of the plane falling: [https://streamable.com/g6h6jd](https://streamable.com/g6h6jd) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/4 "2022-03-21T13:50:25Z")
Hope it’s not a MAX. Reminds me a lot of Silk Air 185, the Indonesian 737 that also plummeted straight-down to its demise in the 1990s. It turned out to be a case of pilot suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/5 "2022-03-21T14:06:26Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Hope it’s not a MAX. 737-800 is a predecessor to the max. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/6 "2022-03-21T17:32:48Z")
> [@blue\_infinity](#): > > Some security cam footage of the plane falling: If that is accurate, the plane was lawn-darting in. That was nearly vertical. Not typical for an accident. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/7 "2022-03-21T21:35:59Z")
I’m calling shenanigans on the story. It’s almost impossible for a plane to go straight down due to some mechanical. This looks more like a missile gone bad and not a plane. Also, if it did lawn dart into the ground from 29,000 feet it would have easily broken the sound barrier and failed structurally. the wings and tail would have separated. The 350 speed is complete nonsense. Why does the video not show the impact explosion? It breaks to a view of a billowing fire but it’s not the same view. ---
**Author:** ![txtumbleweed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@txtumbleweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txtumbleweed)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/8 "2022-03-21T22:50:35Z")
Here’s a different perspective from a dashcam to show the aircraft going in at a steep angle but not verticle. [https://twitter.com/ChinaAvReview/status/1505856305495351296?s=20&t=qnCmTTBNbuXHM32JtWCjaw](https://twitter.com/ChinaAvReview/status/1505856305495351296?s=20&t=qnCmTTBNbuXHM32JtWCjaw) I’ve seen reports of signs that the aircraft broke up at altitude as parts of what could be the empennage are being found far away from the main crash. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/9 "2022-03-21T23:29:59Z")
There was a world wide air directive on the 737-800 regarding [cracks in the “pickle fork”](https://flyfa.com/cracks-on-boeing-737-jets-pickle-fork-cracks-sends-airlines-under-pressure/) connection between fuselage and wing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/10 "2022-03-22T01:48:56Z")
I heard on NBC News this evening that the plane dropped from cruising altitude to about 7,000 feet, where it briefly stabilized, and then nosedived to the ground. I just hope that the passengers didn’t know what was happening to them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/11 "2022-03-22T02:04:53Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I just hope that the passengers didn’t know what was happening to them. I really can’t imagine how they wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/12 "2022-03-22T02:38:58Z")
Maybe the plane depressurized, or the G-forces rendered them unconscious/killed them almost immediately. I just hope this wasn’t a worst-case scenario: pilot suicide . ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/13 "2022-03-22T03:22:29Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I just hope this wasn’t a worst-case scenario … Not to get into a one-ups game of horribleness but I’d say an organized terrorist attack would be worse. An equipment failure or single deranged pilot is unfortunate but a single one-off thing. But an organization of plane crashing terrorists would force the CCP’s hand into harsh measures. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/14 "2022-03-22T13:12:56Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Maybe the plane depressurized, or the G-forces rendered them unconscious/killed them almost immediately. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/15 "2022-03-22T15:55:24Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > or the G-forces rendered them unconscious/killed them almost immediately. They were falling. They were probably experiencing somewhere between 0 and 1 g. (Even if the pilot was actively plowing them towards the ground with everything the engines could give, I don’t think a 737 could pull off multi-g acceleration.) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/16 "2022-03-22T16:49:51Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Maybe the plane depressurized, or the G-forces rendered them unconscious/killed them almost immediately. Difficult for a commercial passenger jet to pull enough Gs to induce blackout before the wings fall off. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > They were falling. They were probably experiencing somewhere between 0 and 1 g. (Even if the pilot was actively plowing them towards the ground with everything the engines could give, I don’t think a 737 could pull off multi-g acceleration.) It’s been reported that they descended very rapidly from cruise altitude and restored level flight somewhere around 7,000 feet before resuming their rapid descent to the ground. The video footage from a surveillance camera and a dash cam shows the plane in a very steep dive, perhaps 60 degrees down, shortly before impact; this is consistent with the wreckage observed so far at the crash scene, which is mostly tiny pieces, very little that’d you’d immediately recognize as a part from an airplane. Unless there was a prolonged depressurization at cruise altitude, it’s almost certain everyone on the plane knew what was happening during that final steep dive. As for what’s worse or worst, I doubt anyone on the plane would have felt better/worse knowing they were about to die because of a mechanical failure, pilot error/suicide, or terrorist intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/17 "2022-03-22T17:00:13Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Maybe the plane depressurized, or the G-forces rendered them unconscious/killed them almost immediately. Depressurization would render them unconscious, but it’s almost impossible for G-forces to knock you out - especially since these would be negative G’s, not the positive G’s fighter pilots get. AIUI it is essentially impossible for G-forces in an aircraft to kill you. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/18 "2022-03-23T11:57:48Z")
Chinese searchers have found one black box, but it’s so badly damaged they couldn’t tell initially if it was the voice or the data recorder. They’re not sure if they’ll get anything usable from it. > **[Cockpit voice recorder believed to be found from China Eastern plane crash |...](https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6393979)** > > Investigators have found what they believe to be the cockpit voice recorder in the wreckage of a China Eastern flight that crashed in the country's south with 132 people on board, a Chinese aviation official said Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/19 "2022-03-23T12:01:38Z")
Holy crap. It takes a LOT to damage those boxes, too. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426/20 "2022-03-23T12:20:29Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Depressurization would render them unconscious, But once they got below 15000 feet, they would have started waking back up. I’m sure there’s going to be a ton of youtube videos coming out over the next few days with people attempting to figure out what happened (some more knowledgeable than others). And once the accident report comes out, I’m quite sure that, they’ll be even more videos. FWIW, Mentour Pilot does a really good job with these types of videos. Just as an example, there was a plane that literally fell out of the sky a few years ago in Afghanistan. Here’s [his video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvZEr3IkLJI) on that. I could be wrong, but wasn’t a Doper’s sister on that plane? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-than-130-dead-in-plane-crash-in-china-2022-03-21/961426.md?page=2)