Chinese airliner crashes, Boeing model grounded

Villagers in China’s southern Guangxi province said they saw China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 plummet vertically Monday morning. The crash sparked a forest fire visible from space in a remote area, making it difficult for emergency responders to access the site. The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 123 passengers and nine crew members. State media in China said there were no survivors found.

Was there an issue with the plane? Although officials have not noted concerns with the Boeing model, they grounded all 737-800s in China Eastern Airline’s fleet Monday. China has roughly 1,200 of this model, more than any other country. Authorities ordered journalists to stay away from the company’s office at the airport where the plane took off and where family members were arriving Monday afternoon. Chicago-based Boeing has sold more than 5,000 737-800s since they were released in 1998. The model has been involved in 11 fatal crashes, including this one, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Rachel Lynn Aldrich’s report on another Boeing crash in 2019 that caused regulators to ground the 737 Max 8.