A dozen China Eastern Airlines officials have been disciplined over the 2004 Baotou air crash that killed 55, raising hopes for families demanding higher compensation.
It is the first time mainland authorities have released the result of any air crash investigation, even though a 2000 regulation stipulates an investigation report should be submitted to the State Council within 120 days of a crash.
Flight MU5210, heading for Shanghai, burst into flames less than a minute after takeoff from Baotou, Inner Mongolia , on November 21, 2004, and plunged into a frozen lake, claiming the lives of all 47 passengers and six crew on board, as well as two people on the ground.
Announcing the cause of the crash yesterday in Beijing, the State Administration of Work Safety and the Ministry of Supervision said frost had probably accumulated on the aircraft's wings the night before and the wings had not been de-iced before takeoff.
'During takeoff, 'wing contamination' [from the frost] made the aircraft stall without warning. The pilots had failed to do anything about the situation before the crash,' the authorities said.
The report said China Eastern had 'leadership and management responsibilities to some extent' and its Yunnan branch, which conducted the flight, had 'weak points in daily safety management'.
Twelve officials at the carrier's headquarters and the branch had been disciplined, including company president Li Fenghua , who received an 'administrative warning'. Others were warned, demoted or dismissed.