News Digest

Crew of crashed Taiwan TransAsia plane shut off working engine: source

The crew of a TransAsia Airways ATR plane that crashed in Taiwan in February, killing 43 people on board, had shut off the working engine after the other lost power, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The latest investigation report into the Taipei crash, to be released this week, will say data readings showed the almost-new turboprop ATR 72-600 stalled and crashed shortly after the functioning engine was switched off, said the source.

The pilots made a mistake here. What makes this even more unbelievable, and unfortunate, was that the mistakes took place even though there were three pilots in the cockpit.

An identified source told Yahoo News.

The findings of the report, by the Aviation Safety Council, will also focus on flight operations, air traffic control, weather, the air worthiness of the plane and other factors, added the source, who could not be identified because the report has not yet been made public. TransAsia declined to comment on the latest findings. The plane, which could fly on one engine, was carrying 58 passengers and crew when it lurched nose-up between buildings, clipped an overpass and a taxi with one of its wings and then crashed upside down into a shallow river in Taipei. Fifteen people survived.

It was difficult to believe the captain turned off the wrong engine, but it happened anyway. That’s why tests were demanded of TransAsia’s ATR pilots.

Another source said.