MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Both engines of the TransAsia Airways plane that crashed in Taiwan two days ago failed before the accident, Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council said Friday, citing black box data.
"Based on the data we have so far we can see that for a period of time both engines showed no thrust," Aviation Safety Council director Thomas Wang was quoted as saying by Sky News.
Wang said that the right engine "flamed out," triggering a warning in the cockpit. "The left engine was shut down by command and the pilot tried to restart the engine but couldn't," Wang said.
According to the Aviation Safety Council, the engines lost power shortly after takeoff.
The TransAsia Airways ATR-72 aircraft crashed into the Keelung River in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, shortly after takeoff. Five crew members and 53 passengers were on board the plane, with at least 35 dying in the crash.
One of the plane's pilots is said to have sent distress signals moments before the accident, indicating an engine malfunction.
