The families of the 132 passengers and crew who perished in the Beijing plane crash have been left in an agonising limbo, as Chinese authorities have barred international investigators from accessing the wreckage and flight data. The move has sparked allegations of a cover-up and raised questions about aviation safety standards.
Sources close to the investigation have told the Guardian that the Chinese government has refused requests from the US National Transportation Safety Board and the French Bureau of Inquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety to participate in the probe. Both countries have a vested interest: the aircraft was a Boeing 737, and the engines were manufactured by a French-American joint venture.
“This is highly unusual,” said a former senior investigator from the NTSB. “In major crashes, international co-operation is standard. Blocking access is seen as a sign of something to hide.”
Chinese state media initially reported that the aircraft had suffered a “technical failure” and that cockpit voice recordings had been recovered. However, no further details have been released, and the black box data has not been shared internationally.
Zhang Wei, a Beijing-based aviation analyst, said: “The Chinese government is sensitive about revealing any flaws in its aviation infrastructure. The country is proud of its safety record, and any admission of fault would be politically damaging.”
The flight, which departed from Kunming en route to Guangzhou, took a sudden nosedive and crashed into a mountainous region near the city of Wuzhou. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft plummeting in a near-vertical descent, a trajectory that has baffled experts. Radar data showed the plane losing altitude rapidly before disappearing from screens.
For the families of those on board, the lack of information has been devastating. Li Chen, whose sister was a flight attendant on the plane, told reporters: “They keep telling us to be patient. But we have nothing. No answers. No closure. We are being treated like criminals.”
In an official statement, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said: “The investigation is proceeding in accordance with Chinese law and international norms. We will release information when it is appropriate.” But critics argue that the secrecy is unprecedented, even by Chinese standards.
“The Chinese authorities are violating the spirit of the Chicago Convention, which governs international air travel,” said Margaret Chen, a professor of aviation law at University of Hong Kong. “They are obliged to share information with the state of design and manufacture.”
The European Union has expressed its “deep concern” over the blockade, and the US State Department has called for “transparency and full co-operation”. But with diplomatic tensions already high over trade and human rights, it is unclear what pressure the international community can bring to bear.
Meanwhile, in the working-class districts of Beijing and Guangzhou, the tragedy has struck a nerve. At a union meeting in a factory on the outskirts of the capital, workers held a minute of silence. “It could have been any of us,” said union representative Yang Fen. “We fly these planes to visit family, to find work. We trust the system. And now we wonder if that trust is misplaced.”
As the investigation stalls, the mood in China is one of frustration and fear. The government has promised answers, but for now, the families of the 132 victims are left with nothing but questions.
