China Eastern plane crash data suggest intentional dive, WSJ says

The black box for a China Eastern Airlines Corp. jet that crashed earlier this year suggests the Boeing Co. plane took an intentional nosedive, the Wall Street Journal said.

Data recovered from the black box suggest that someone in the cockpit input controls that sent the plane into its deadly descent, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with US officials’ preliminary assessment of the incident.

The Boeing 737-800 jetliner was en route from Kunming to Guangzhou on March 21 when it plummeted from the sky, killing all 132 passengers and crew. US officials involved in the investigation have focused on the actions of a pilot, though it’s possible someone else on the plane could have broken into the cockpit and caused the crash, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Boeing shares added to their gains for the day, climbing as much as 6.2% in New York. If the report is correct, it would indicate the airplane maker doesn’t bear primary responsibility for the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.