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TransAsia GE235: Taiwan plane crash engines 'lost power' | TransAsia GE235: Taiwan plane crash engines 'lost power' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Black box data from the TransAsia Airlines turbo-prop plane that crashed in Taiwan has revealed that power was cut to both engines, investigators say. | Black box data from the TransAsia Airlines turbo-prop plane that crashed in Taiwan has revealed that power was cut to both engines, investigators say. |
Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council said the engines failed to produce enough thrust for two minutes after take-off. | Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council said the engines failed to produce enough thrust for two minutes after take-off. |
Data suggest that the flight crew tried to stop and restart one of the engines, without success. | Data suggest that the flight crew tried to stop and restart one of the engines, without success. |
Flight GE235 carried 58 passengers and crew, at least 35 of whom died when the plane crashed into a river. | Flight GE235 carried 58 passengers and crew, at least 35 of whom died when the plane crashed into a river. |
Fifteen people survived the crash. | Fifteen people survived the crash. |
According to investigators at a briefing in Taipei, the plane ran into trouble just 37 seconds after taking off from Taipei's Songshan airport. | According to investigators at a briefing in Taipei, the plane ran into trouble just 37 seconds after taking off from Taipei's Songshan airport. |
Thomas Wang, director of the Aviation Safety Council, said the pilot announced a "flame-out", which can occur when the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted or when there is faulty combustion. | Thomas Wang, director of the Aviation Safety Council, said the pilot announced a "flame-out", which can occur when the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted or when there is faulty combustion. |
However, he said there was in fact no flame-out, and the right engine had actually shifted into idle mode without the oil pressure having changed. | However, he said there was in fact no flame-out, and the right engine had actually shifted into idle mode without the oil pressure having changed. |
"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 1,200ft, triggering a warning," AFP news agency quoted Mr Wang as saying. | "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 1,200ft, triggering a warning," AFP news agency quoted Mr Wang as saying. |
"Then the other [left] engine was shut down manually. The pilot tried to restart the engines but to no avail. | "Then the other [left] 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. | "That means that during the flight's final moments, neither engine had any thrust. We heard 'Mayday' at 10:54:35," he added. |
The flight, which had been bound for Taiwan's Kinmen Island, crashed into the Keelung River just 72 seconds later. | |
The plane, an ATR 72-600, is able to fly with just one functioning engine. Mr Wang said it was not clear why the left engine had been shut down. | |
A more substantial report into the crash will be released within the next 30 days, ahead of the publication of a final report in the next three to six months. | |
The pilot, Liao Chien-tsung, has been praised by Taipei's mayor for managing to steer the plane away from apartment blocks and commercial buildings before it came down. | |
Taiwanese Vice President Wu Den-yih also paid tribute the 42-year-old pilot, saying he had "meticulously grasped" the flight controls in the plane's last few seconds in the air, according to news agency Associated Press. | |
"In the final moments he still wanted to control the plane to avoid harming residents in the housing communities," he said. | |
News agency Reuters has reported that crash investigators told Taiwanese media outlets that Liao Chien-tsung's hands were still on the plane's controls when his body was found. | |
Both the pilot and co-pilot were found with their legs badly broken, according to local reports. | |
Taiwan's aviation regulator has ordered TransAir and another airline, Uni Air, to conduct engine and fuel system checks on the remaining 22 operational aircraft manufactured by Franco-Italian firm ATR. |