China continues in-depth investigation of Wuzhou aircraft crash

The United States National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed with China's civil aviation authority, saying that no investigation information regarding a crashed Eastern China Airline was provided to media, the Civil Aviation Administration of China told Global Times on Wednesday.

It was in response to recent news reports that claimed flight data indicated someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the jet. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the source was from people familiar with the US officials' preliminary assessment.

According to Global Times, China's civil aviation administration quoted its US partner as saying that they strictly adhere to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, and will continue to provide professional technical support to identify the cause of the accident.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China, which is leading the investigation, said the investigation team is carrying out an in-depth investigation, including identification, classification and inspection of wreckage, flight data analysis and experimental verification in accordance with the investigation procedures.

According to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board—as the country of the aircraft design and manufacturing—has been invited to the investigation.

Flight MU5735 was bound from Kunming, Yunnan province to Guangzhou, Guangdong province on March 21 when it crashed in a mountainous region in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, claiming the lives of all 132 people on board.