Aviation safety experts increasingly see only a few plausible reasons why a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plunged into the ground on 21 March, killing all 132 people aboard. Details about the crash remain sparse, but the information available seems to suggest either that the jet suffered some type of incredibly unusual flight-control problem, or that one of its pilots put the 737 into a dive. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which is leading the investigation, has not yet said what it thinks caused the crash. Although aviation safety experts caution against drawing conclusions based on incomplete information they see a limited number of possible causes. “That kind of vertical dive, without a radio call of any kind from the flightcrew, could clearly indicate a human activity to make that happen,” says aviation safety consultant and former NTSB member John Goglia. By “human activity”, he means a pilot deliberately commanding the jet to dive. “Nobody can come up with a mechanical failure mode that would make the airplane behave the way it did,” Goglia adds. Aviation safety expert John Cox, who works at consultancy Safety Operating Systems, says “it is entirely possible that it is a deliberate act… I would not take it off the table”. However, Cox, a former airline pilot who flew 737s, speculates that some unusual type of mechanical issue, or perhaps inaccurate flight data, could also be the cause. “Could it have been an autopilot-induced trim runaway? Theoretically, I can make that case,” Cox says. “But this airplane doesn’t have a history [of] doing anything like that.”<br/>
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Distressed flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to undertake a rights issue to raise additional capital and will invite strategic investors to take part as it attempts to revive its ailing business. The airline expects to launch the equity issue after the Indonesian government makes good upon its plan to inject the carrier with fresh funds, Finance Director Prasetio said during a court hearing with creditors Monday. “Our first priority is to partner with local investors before we expand our search to include international ones,” Prasetio, who goes by one name, said. Indonesia has previously said it is open to the possibility of private investors becoming majority owners of the troubled airline, which is currently in talks with creditors to restructure $9.8 billion of debt. Garuda is one of several airlines facing financial distress because of Covid-19. Prasetio didn’t elaborate on how much money may be sought in a rights issue or what sort of stake any new investors would hold in the company. The carrier plans to first use money from a planned state capital injection of 7.5t rupiah ($519m) to rebuild operations. “We will also use the money to settle obligations toward the tax office and our employees,” he said. The capital injection was approved by the Indonesian parliament last week and will take place once Garuda reaches a settlement with its creditors. Garuda, meanwhile, is set to lay out its debt composition plan at a meeting May 10. As of Monday, the court-appointed administrators have verified claims from only 312 creditors, worth 47.5t rupiah. Some 150.6t rupiah of claims belonging to 172 creditors, mostly lessors, are still being examined.<br/>