It has been confirmed that the National Transport Safety Board will participate, along with other organizations, in the investigation into the loss of China Eastern flight MU5735 on Monday, March 21st. The accident involved a Chinese-registered aircraft flown by a Chinese airline on a domestic flight within China. So why is a US-based organization getting involved? Let's take a closer look.

What is the NTSB?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a US-government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigations. Earlier today, via social media, it has announced that it has appointed a senior air safety investigator as a US-accredited representative to investigate the crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Monday.

The NTSB confirmed in its announcement that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) would lead the investigation, with representatives from Boeing, CFM (the engine manufacturer), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) serving as technical advisors at the invitation of the Chinese authorities.

Boeing has also confirmed that it is in contact with the NTSB and their technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the CAAC. A spokesman for Boeing stated,

"Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. We are working with our airline customer and are ready to support them. Boeing is in contact with the US National Transportation Safety Board, and our technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China,"

Although the accident or the airline involved has no direct connection to the US government, it is commonplace for the US-based safety body to be involved where a passenger aircraft manufactured in the United States has been involved in an accident.

Convention dictates that this involvement is usually upon the invitation of the country either where the accident has occurred or where the aircraft involved was registered. The Federal Aviation Administration has also confirmed that it is ready to assist in the investigation process and has representatives on standby.

International treaty encourages collaboration

According to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the country where the accident occurred should be responsible for organizing the investigation. In this case, the Chinese investigation team will lead the investigation.

However, the ICAO agreement also allows the United States to serve as a representative to the crash probe since the plane was manufactured in the USA. It is not yet clear whether the NTSB will send their advisers to the crash site in the coming days, with the Chinese authorities yet to make a further announcement on this particular point.

During a routine press conference, the Chinese authorities stated that they are sparing no effort in conducting search and rescue. According to Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the CAAC will identify the cause of the accident as soon as possible to ensure the absolute safety of aviation operations.

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The aircraft came down in a mountainous area of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Photo: Getty Images

NTSB is regularly called in

Over many years, it has become commonplace that investigations into aviation accidents involving Boeing aircraft have either been led by the NTSB or have had major involvement from the body. This has applied to Boeing accidents worldwide and has been particularly evident in counties with either limited or no expertise in air accident investigation.

The accidents involving two Boeing 737 MAXs in 2018 and 2019, operated by Lion Air of Indonesia and Ethiopian Airlines, respectively, saw significant involvement from the NTSB.

The NTSB is widely considered one of the world leaders in this specialist field of expertise. Its broad experience in ancient investigation accrued over many years, combined with its close working relationships with Boeing and engine manufacturers, gives it a position of almost unrivaled expertise in this field.

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The NTSB has a vast array of resources at its disposal to assist with investigations. Photo: NTSB

The organization also has a vast range of resources at its disposal to expedite the investigative process. If the identification of reasons for an accident can be accelerated, measures can be taken to avoid the same or similar incident from happening again in the future.

This was precisely the case with the accidents involving the Boeing 737 MAXs. The entire worldwide fleet was grounded following concerns raised initially by the NTSB and relayed to the FAA in the United States.

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The NTSB was heavily involved in the investigations into accidents involving early Boeing 737 MAXs. Photo: Boeing 

China's Boeing 737-800s are grounded

The China Eastern Boeing 737-800 involved in the accident yesterday was flying from Kunming (KMG) to Guangzhou (CAN). MU 5735, a domestic flight operated by a 737-800 registered as B-1791. The flight had 132 people onboard (123 passengers and nine crew) when it appears to have descended rapidly into a mountainous region of China.

Following the crash, China Eastern Airlines has grounded all the company's 737-800 planes until further notice.

The Simple Flying team extends its sincerest sympathies to all those affected by yesterday's loss of flight MU5735.