DEVELOPING: TransAsia Flight 235 Crashes Into Taipei River After Takeoff
Amanda Cyr February 04, 2015
TransAsia Airways Flight 235 crashed into the Keelung River shortly after taking off from Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) on Wednesday. The ATR-72 turboprop was en route to the Kinmen islands when it plunged from the sky, banked sharply and clipped a wing on an elevated bridge before crashing into the river. A dashboard camera captured footage of GE253 striking the bridge.
Of the 58 passengers and crew onboard, at least 25 were killed. The plane broke apart in the river and the fuselage is currently half-submerged. At least 15 people have been pulled out of the plane alive, and 18 are reported missing. Rescue efforts are ongoing.
Local media is currently relaying an unverified final communication from GE253 pilots to air traffic control in which the pilot can be heard saying “Mayday, mayday, engine flame out.”
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[Photo: BBC; Video: Youtube]
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You can also see the damage to the taxi which was also hit by the wing. Tragic. A few more meters and it might have been able to just hit the water.