China plane was diving near speed of sound before crash

Washington | The China Eastern Airlines jet that crashed on Monday with 132 people on board was travelling 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, in rare cases, damage a plane’s data and voice recorders that are designed to withstand most crashes.

Bloomberg