China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735
The crash site
Accident
Date21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)
SummaryCrashed into terrain; under investigation
Site
Aircraft

B-1791, the aircraft involved in the accident, in 2018
Aircraft typeBoeing 737-89P
OperatorChina Eastern Yunnan Airlines
IATA flight No.MU5735
ICAO flight No.CES5735
Call signCHINA EASTERN 5735
RegistrationB-1791
Flight originKunming Changshui International Airport, Kunming, Yunnan, China
DestinationGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Occupants132
Passengers123
Crew9
Fatalities132
Survivors0

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 (MU5735) was a domestic passenger flight from Kunming Changshui International Airport to its planned destination, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China. At 14:23 China Standard Time (06:23 UTC) on 21 March 2022, the Boeing 737-89P aircraft descended steeply mid-flight and struck the ground at high speed in Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi, killing all 132 passengers and crew on board. It is the third deadliest aviation accident in China, the deadliest in the history of China Eastern Airlines, and the deadliest plane crash in 2022. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is responsible for the investigation.

In an April 2022 statement, the CAAC dismissed speculation about the cause of the crash, which has included reports in American news media that the aircraft may have been deliberately crashed, as misleading and as complicating the investigation.

On 20 March 2024, CAAC said no faults or abnormalities were found in the aircraft's systems, structures or engines.

On 19 May 2025, in response to an open government information request, the CAAC said that it decided not to release an annual interim investigation report to the public because releasing the report might "endanger national security and societal stability".