A turboprop ATR 72-600 aircraft operated by TransAsia crashed into the Keelung River in Taipei on Wednesday, shortly after taking off from the Songshan airport. Officials indicate that 23 people are dead and 20 more are missing, out of a total of 58 passengers on board.
Dramatic footage captured by passing motorists, which you can see above, show how close the plane came to crashing into the roadway and overpass, though officials have yet to determine if the pilot was aiming for a water landing. The last recorded communication from the pilot indicated that the plane suffered from an engine flameout. Before coming to a rest, the plane's wing scraped the highway, leaving debris scattered on the asphalt and barely missing traffic.
According to Reuters, the plane was relatively new, recently serviced and being flown by experienced pilots. Officials from France, where the aircraft was built, are headed to Taipei to assist local investigators.
Flight GE235 had been heading for the island of Kinmen. The 15 survivors were rescued from the water, most of them wearing life vests, from the partially submerged fuselage of the plane. Our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic event.
Dramatic footage captured by passing motorists, which you can see above, show how close the plane came to crashing into the roadway and overpass, though officials have yet to determine if the pilot was aiming for a water landing. The last recorded communication from the pilot indicated that the plane suffered from an engine flameout. Before coming to a rest, the plane's wing scraped the highway, leaving debris scattered on the asphalt and barely missing traffic.
According to Reuters, the plane was relatively new, recently serviced and being flown by experienced pilots. Officials from France, where the aircraft was built, are headed to Taipei to assist local investigators.
Flight GE235 had been heading for the island of Kinmen. The 15 survivors were rescued from the water, most of them wearing life vests, from the partially submerged fuselage of the plane. Our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic event.
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