A top official investigating the crash of a China Northern Airlines aircraft said yesterday he did not exclude the possibility of sabotage in the tragedy that left 112 people dead.
The MD-82 plunged into the sea off Dalian on Tuesday evening, killing all 112 people on board.
Shan Chunchang, deputy director of the National Security Production Supervision and Management Bureau, said the investigation was continuing but there had been no breakthrough and both the plane's black boxes had been located but not recovered.
'This is a complex investigation. We can exclude a problem with the crew and the pilots, and the aircraft was normal.
'As to a man-made cause, this we have not excluded,' he said.
Yang Yuanyuan, deputy director of the China Aviation Administration (CAAC), said the pilot and co-pilot had flown 11,000 hours and 3,300 hours respectively and their physical condition was normal prior to their last flight.
The plane had flown 26,700 hours, done 16,000 takeoffs and landings and had a regular maintenance in March, while the radar and other equipment at Dalian airport were operating normally.