How NTSB would approach investigation into China Eastern crash with 132 on board

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China Eastern plane carrying 132 people crashes in Guangxi province

A China Eastern flight carrying 132 people crashed Monday.

A domestic Chinese flight with 132 passengers plummeted into the mountains of southern China on Monday, likely leaving all passengers dead and investigators launching a probe into the cause. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed the country’s emergency services to "organize a search and rescue" operation and "identify the causes" of the Boeing 737-800 crashing, according to state media. 

Former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board Jim Hall told Fox News Digital on Monday that it would be "irresponsible" to speculate what caused the crash so soon after the incident, but described how the NTSB carries out investigations into major commercial crashes. 

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This screen grab taken from video from The Paper and received via AFPTV on March 21, 2022 shows ambulances turning off onto a side road upon arrival after a China Eastern reportedly crashed in Teng County in Wuzhou City, Guangxi province. - The China Eastern passenger jet carrying 132 people "crashed" in southwest China, the state flight regulator confirmed on March 21, with the number of casualties unknown according to the country's state broadcaster. (Photo by STR/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)

"There is no detail that is too small not to be part of a NTSB investigation," Hall said. 

When a commercial plane crashes in the U.S., a "go-team" is deployed immediately following the crash, which includes technical experts on different components of an aircraft and operations of a flight. 

This team of anywhere between seven and 11 people, led by the investigator in charge, collects information from first-responders, air traffic control, and locates the black boxes, while also securing, surveying and mapping the crash site. Simultaneously, investigators in Washington, D.C., collect information on satellite data, flight paths and the dispatch of the aircraft. 

NTSB investigators reviewing coordinates to prepare a drone for mapping the site in Calabasas, Calif., where a helicopter crashed Sunday killing nine people, including Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. (NTSB)

The investigator in charge will also assemble "parties to the investigation," such as the manufacturers of the aircraft and various groups that represent flight attendants or mechanics, who have teams that mirror the NTSB’s "go-team." 

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The preliminary report on a crash leads to a factual report, which Hall described as a "Jack Webb" report in a nod to the actor from classic detective show "Dragnet." This report gives a narrative description of the accident. 

After about a year, though sometimes it can be longer, the investigation ultimately leads to a probable cause of the crash and recommendations on safety. 

"Those recommendations don't have to be tied totally to the probable cause in the course of the investigation," Hall said. "If the [NTSB] board found information that they thought was important to aviation safety, that may also be a recommendation of the report."

Hall explained that the biggest difference between NTSB investigations and investigations in other countries comes down to transparency. 

"That is the major difference between the NTSB investigations and investigations in some other jurisdictions," Hall said, noting the media and public are provided information on the investigation and findings. "We believe that our processes is essentially as transparent as it can be."

FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2020, file photo, released by the National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB investigator Carol Hogan examines wreckage as part of the NTSB's investigation of a helicopter crash near Calabasas, Calif., that killed former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others. Federal safety investigators bypassed aviation regulators on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, and urged leading helicopter manufacturers to install so-called black boxes that would help determine the cause of crashes such as the one that killed former NBA star Kobe Bryant.(James Anderson/National Transportation Safety Board via AP, File) (AP)

In the China crash, the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the airline, China Eastern, both said they have deployed officials to the crash site in accordance with emergency measures. A Boeing spokesperson told Fox News Digital Monday that it is also "working to gather more information."

"Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735 .... Boeing is in contact with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and our technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China," a Boeing spokesperson added. 

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China Eastern’s flight No. 5735 had been traveling at around 30,000 feet when suddenly, just after 2:20 p.m., the plane entered a deep dive at its cruising altitude speed of about 523 mph, according to data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.com. The data suggests the plane crashed within a minute and a half of whatever went wrong.

The flight was traveling from the Kunming Wujiaba International Airport in the western province of Yunnan to the industrial center of Guangzhou along the east coast, according to a statement from the CAAC. 

Videos show the fiery crash site, with bamboo trees ignited and the aircraft itself disintegrated, according to Chinese media. 

Photo of China Eastern aricraft. (Reuters) (Reuters)

A firefighting department official reported there was no sign of life at the crash site, Reuters reported citing state media. 

Boeing delivered that aircraft to China Eastern in June 2015, and had been flying for more than six years. China Eastern Airlines uses the Boeing 737-800 as one of the main workhorses of its fleet — of its over 600 planes, 109 are Boeing 737-800s.

China’s last deadly crash of a civilian jetliner was in 2010. Forty-four of 96 people on board were killed. 

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China's worst-ever air disaster occurred in 1994 when a China Northwest Airlines crashed and killed all 160 people on board.  

The Associated Press contributed to this report.