Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Search crews have recovered one of the flight recorders from the China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 that crashed in southern China on Monday, killing all 132 onboard. According to Chinese state-controlled media, investigators have not determined whether the device is a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder because of its heavily damaged condition.

 


The airplane, which took off from Kunming in Yunnan province on a scheduled flight to the southeastern coastal city of Guangzhou, crashed in a mountainous area in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Surveillance video showed the airplane in a direct nosedive seconds before it crashed.

 


According to data from flight tracking site FlightRadar24, MU5735 began to quickly lose altitude while cruising at 29,100 feet and descended to about 9,000 feet in just over two minutes. FlightRadar24’s last altitude indication shows the airplane at 3,225 feet.

 


In an updated statement, Boeing issued condolences and emphasized its readiness to help with the investigation. “We are working with our airline customer and are ready to support them,” it said.&nbsp;“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.”

 


In its own statement, the National Transportation Safety Board said it has appointed a senior air safety investigator as the U.S. representative for the investigation. Meanwhile, representatives from Boeing, CFM, and the FAA will serve as technical advisors to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

 


Boeing delivered the&nbsp;airplane, registration B-1791, to China Eastern in June 2015. China Eastern’s fleet of more than 600 airplanes includes 108 Boeing 737-800s and thirty-nine 737-700s.

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Recorder Recovered from Doomed China Eastern 737

Search crews have yet to determine whether the heavily damaged recorder recovered from the destroyed China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 is an FDR or CVR.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Pilot died of cardiac arrest during the flight

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News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Six fatal accidents resulted in 22 fatalities in the quarter

NBAA Report Flags Powerplant, Collision Risks in Q2 Data

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News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Twenty years ago, a business jet and commerical airliner collided; the smaller airplane survived

Remembering a Solemn Anniversary: the Amazon Midair 

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News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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Captain opted out of instrument approach over autopilot concerns

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Helicopter experienced a vertical hop for which the pilot didn’t know the recovery procedure

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