China Jet’s Dive Took It Near Speed of Sound Before Crash

Boeing 737-800 plunge exceeded 640 miles per hour on descent
High impact force of crash could complicate the investigation

WATCH: One of the two black boxes from the Chinese jetliner that slammed into a hillside has been. Stephen Engle reports.Source: Bloomberg

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By Alan Levin and Mary Schlangenstein

March 22, 2022 at 9:50 PM UTC

Updated on

March 23, 2022 at 3:30 PM UTC

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The China Eastern Airlines Corp. jet that crashed Monday was traveling at close to the speed of sound in the moments before it slammed into a hillside, according to a Bloomberg News review of flight-track data.

Such an impact may complicate the task for investigators because it can obliterate evidence and damage a plane’s data and voice recorders that are designed to withstand most crashes. The cockpit voice recorder was located Wednesday, officials in China said.