Chinese jet nearly hit speed of sound in final moments before crash
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. One of the two black boxes was located Wednesday, officials in China said.
The Boeing Co. 737-800 was knifing through the air at more than 640 miles (966 kilometers) per hour, and at times may have exceeded 700 mph, according to data from Flightradar24, a website that tracks planes.
