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TransAsia engines failed before crash

Source: AFP | February 6, 2015, Friday | Online Edition

BOTH engines on the TransAsia plane that crashed in Taiwan this week failed before the ATR 72-600 plummeted into a river, investigators said Friday as the death toll rose to at least 35.

The findings from the plane's black boxes were released as reports emerged that the pilot was still clutching the joystick when his body was found in the cockpit, after he apparently battled to avoid populated areas.

The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) also disclosed that TransAir Airways had failed to meet around a third of the requirements it had demanded after another fatal crash just seven months ago in Taiwan's western Penghu islands.

In the first account of the last moments of Flight GE235 which crashed Wednesday, the Aviation Safety Council which is investigating the accident said one engine had "flamed out" while the other was shut down manually.

"The plane flashed a flame-out signal for one of the two engines at 10:53:28 when the plane climbed to an altitude of 1,200 feet, triggering a warning," said its director Thomas Wang, referring to the turboprop plane's right engine.

"Then the other engine was shut down manually. The pilot tried to restart the engines but to no avail. That means that during the flight's final moments, neither engine had any thrust. We heard 'Mayday' at 10:54:35," he added.

Wang said it was "not clear" why the left engine was shut down manually.

"We are not reaching any judgement yet," he said.

But popular aviation traffic website Flightradar24 said it was likely the pilots made an error.

"Black box data indicate that pilots may have turned off wrong engine & lost all power 1 minute after take off," it said in a tweet.

The TransAsia plane crashed shortly after take-off from Songshan airport in Taipei, with dramatic dashcam images showing it hitting an elevated road as it banked steeply away from buildings and into the Keelung River.

Fifteen people survived and rescuers are still searching the river and submerged wreckage for another eight who remain missing.

Pilot Liao Chien-tsung has been hailed as a hero for apparently making a last-ditch attempt to steer the plane, with 53 passengers and five crew on board, away from built-up areas during its steep descent.

His body was found in the cockpit still holding the joystick with both hands, and with his legs badly fractured, according to the China Times.

"He struggled to hold onto the joystick till the last moment before the plane plunged into the river, in an attempt to control its direction and to reduce casualties," it said, citing unnamed prosecutors investigating the case.

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