China Eastern 737-800 MU5735 accident March 2022

[FWRWATPLX2]

Regarding the Utube video interview by Sky sNews:

Byron Bailey offering his two cents worth. Pffft! The guy is a media junkie, seeking fame, fortune, and mostly relevance. You mean simple business attire or a conservative business suit would not suffice for the interview, he has to impress by wearing a pilot shirt an Captain stripes, as if nobody would believe he is a Captain. Surprised he didn't occasionally flash his big watch, too. And, what is the largest aircraft he has served on as Captain? A clue, it has two engines. This quack used to write a column in 'The Australian' newspaper, but mostly a lot of b.s. and sandbagging Boeing. I would always send correct(ed) information to the Editor and let 'em know Bailey was full of crap.

Without complete analysis of the CVR and FDR, we do not know 100% what happened or who in the cockpit may have put the aircraft in the nosedive.

He talks about pilot salaries in China and Chinese cultural issues, but how would he know, if he has never operated there? At least, I can state for a fact I served as a Captain, in China, on China Eastern Boeing 737-800 aircraft and lived there full-time, nearly five years.

Be sure it was not me he was referring to in the video as his source.

[ferry pilot]

Often as not, suicide is impulsive. If this was a pilot with a problem, he may not have been suicidal until the instant he shoved the nose down. Like holding a handgun, or thinking about a flick of the wheel into oncoming traffic, there are some things certain people should not be doing at certain times.

[olster]

In terms of pilot mental illness I made a big mistake in not reporting a colleague many years ago that worked for a very large U.K. airline. This individual came to me with a bizarre proposition which I will not go into but he was apparently compelled to ask me this because the ‘voices in his head’ were driving him (a sure sign of schizophrenia).His flat mate (another pilot) was aware of the ‘voices’ but did not appear as concerned as me. I stress that this individual was a first officer on a Boeing 747. I have always regretted not reporting him to the U.K. CAA. He obviously needed help. I was a lot younger and naive and this is not a mistake I would make again. Our innocent passengers deserve better than the rights of the regrettably mentally unwell.

[Less Hair]

Somebody with -say- impaired vision will be blocked from flying right away but mental illness is a like a taboo sort of thing. Ignoring it will not work but then will people try to just hide it even more?

[NSEU]

Reported suicide note?

You Tube

[Less Hair]

Interesting details about the background of the FO. Thanks for posting.

[Sallyann1234]

Originally Posted by Less Hair

Somebody with -say- impaired vision will be blocked from flying right away but mental illness is a like a taboo sort of thing. Ignoring it will not work but then will people try to just hide it even more?

The difference is that eyesight can be easily and accurately measured. Assessment of mental illness is highly subjective and can be difficult to diagnose. Furthermore, investigations can be self defeating - they apply more pressure on the subject when work/life stress is probably the origin of the illness. I'm aware of a person in a very stressful job - not flying - who finally stepped in front of a tube train after his employer required him to undertake a psychiatric assessment.

In the end it may be that this is a risk which cannot be entirely avoided.

[Less Hair]

The big question is should "we" block "them" more or maybe less or just leave it the way it is? Leaving it the way it is seems to not detect enough people with acute symptoms in time? How much of a price do the flying public and colleagues have to pay?

[FlightDetent]

Sounds to me like the media are hopelessly trying to brew a story about what was (not) said in the other media, with absolutely no new pieces of information.

[phylosocopter]

Originally Posted by FlightDetent

Sounds to me like the media is hopelessly trying to brew a story about what was (not) said in the other media, with absolutely no new pieces of information.

Agree!
The echo chamber in action . It actually makes no difference how many "experts" repeat the same conjecture on youtube , or opine on this forum. This discussion of suicide at this time is just noise.

[Furniture Saver]

The one thing that is perfectly clear is that the Chinese should, promptly, publish a truthful report. If they wish to play on the world stage, they need to play by world rules, and that includes openness about things such as aviation crashes (I won’t rant about public health and coronaviruses here). Whether it’s deliberate connivance or not, letting the NTSB leak half-truths does nothing to help anyone (except Boeing, of course).

[Big Pistons Forever]

There is no official statement released by any Chinese Government official on any subject that can be trusted. They lie even when they don't have to.

If the truth of this tragedy comes out it will be in spite of the Chinese Government actions, not because of it.

[fox niner]

Originally Posted by Furniture Saver

The one thing that is perfectly clear is that the Chinese should, promptly, publish a truthful report. If they wish to play on the world stage, they need to play by world rules, and that includes openness about things such as aviation crashes (I won’t rant about public health and coronaviruses here).

Ah…but here you are perceiving the whole situation from a western point of view. You see, China is running a decades-long program in which they intend to CHANGE the rules of the world. They will continue until their influence makes them the only superpower of the planet.
including the change of standards, the change of history, and the change of truth.

[jolihokistix]

While visiting Dalian in NE China, I was told by a local university staff member that the CCP government can change anything they like. If the law says (as it apparently does) that factory workers must quit working and go home whenever the summer temperature hits 35 degrees, then all media sources will continue to report a maximum of 34 degrees at the monitoring station.

There is one thing, however, that they are powerless to change. That is what day of the week it is today.
(Cynical but healthy Chinese humour at work.)

[Busbuoy]

If you want to see what the Sinofuture holds watch the 2144AD segment of Cloud Atlas. Change the names a little if it helps but you'll get the drift.

[ZFT]

Originally Posted by jolihokistix

While visiting Dalian in NE China, I was told by a local university staff member that the CCP government can change anything they like. If the law says (as it apparently does) that factory workers must quit working and go home whenever the summer temperature hits 35 degrees, then all media sources will continue to report a maximum of 34 degrees at the monitoring station.

There is one thing, however, that they are powerless to change. That is what day of the week it is today.
(Cynical but healthy Chinese humour at work.)

This is nothing new. In 1979/80 whilst working at Iraqi Airways there was a similar reg except the trigger temp was something like 50C. Obviously the reported temp never exceeded 49C!!
(My thermometer recorded way in excess of 50C quite often)

[Less Hair]

Can their ATIS be trusted?

[W9SQD]

Originally Posted by ZFT

This is nothing new. In 1979/80 whilst working at Iraqi Airways there was a similar reg except the trigger temp was something like 50C. Obviously the reported temp never exceeded 49C!!
(My thermometer recorded way in excess of 50C quite often)

In the 80's at Gulf Air, one summer morning the ATIS at Bahrain was reporting some temp that made me ask dispatch to unload 10 tons of cargo. "Standby," was their reply. Five minutes later I was instructed to recheck the ATIS. Laughingly, the mid morning temp had suddenly decreased a couple of degrees.

[hans brinker]

Originally Posted by Less Hair

Can their ATIS be trusted?

There's a surprising amount of places where there a big difference between the pilot reported visibility or ceiling being "at minimum" and "riiiiight at minimum".

[BuzzBox]

Originally Posted by W9SQD

In the 80's at Gulf Air, one summer morning the ATIS at Bahrain was reporting some temp that made me ask dispatch to unload 10 tons of cargo. "Standby," was their reply. Five minutes later I was instructed to recheck the ATIS. Laughingly, the mid morning temp had suddenly decreased a couple of degrees.

A bit like the good old days at Hong Kong's Kai Tak, where 1 or 2 knots of tailwind could make all the difference for the heavies departing off Rwy 13. ATC would ask what wind they needed to depart and by coincidence that's what the wind became!