A Tranasia Airways ATR 72-600 airplane which took off from Taiwan's Taipei-Songshan Airport crashed four minutes into the flight dur...
A Tranasia Airways ATR 72-600 airplane which took off from Taiwan's Taipei-Songshan Airport crashed four minutes into the flight during its initial climb phase.
The Flight GE 235 took off at 1053 Taipei time for Kinmen Airport carrying 58 crew and passengers. The airplane banked sharply, hitting a taxi and clipping the bridge before plummeting into the Keelung River, resulting in breaking of fuselage.
The ATR 72, registered B-22816, is less than a year old and was delivered to TransAsia last April. The aircraft previously had a faulty left Pratt & Whitney PW100-127M engine which was replaced in Macau. The pilot reported an engine flame out before crash.
The accident marks the second fatal crash involving a Transasia ATR since last July, when flight G222 crashed while attempting to land on the island of Penghu off Taiwan's coast, killing 48 people and injuring another 10.
Following the crash Transasia will conduct checks on its fleet of ATR 72s and is awaiting Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) instructions on whether to ground the fleet.
The Aviation Safety Council of Taiwan will lead the investigation and will be the official source of information. According to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations, ATR will advise the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et Analyses (BEA), safety investigation authority representing the State of the aircraft manufacturer.
