China Focus: TransAsia grounds 29 pilots, offers compensations after crash

Taiwan's aviation regulator announced on Wednesday that it would ground 10 TransAsia Airways pilots, while 19 others await examination, after a fatal plane crash left 42 people dead.

Before last week's fatal crash, in which three pilots were killed, TransAsia had 71 pilots qualified to fly ATR 72-type airplanes.

Forty-nine pilots participated in the oral examinations, held from Saturday to Tuesday.

The civil aviation agency said 10 ATR pilots failed oral tests and were not "skilled enough" to handle emergencies. They will now be sent on intensive training courses.

The 19 other pilots will be grounded until they pass the test.

TransAsia president Fred Woo acknowledged that the results were "unacceptable" and vowed to boost flight safety through a major management overhaul and training schemes.

The 39 pilots that passed the tests will now be sent overseas to undergo flight simulator training.

TransAsia Airways Flight GE235, a ATR 72-600 model, crashed into the Keelung River in Taipei on Wednesday last week. Rescuers were still looking for Chen Rentai, a tourist from the Chinese mainland and the last victim who remained missing.

This was the company's second fatal crash involving ATR 72-type aircraft in seven months .

On July 23, 2014, TransAsia Flight GE222, a ATR 72-500 model, crashed near Magong Airport in Penghu.

Also on Wednesday, TransAsia offered compensation of 14.9 million new Taiwan dollars (about 480,000 U.S.dollars) to the families of those that had died, but the proposal was immediately rejected.

The payout includes 13.5 million new Taiwan dollars in compensation; 1.2 million new Taiwan dollars for funeral costs; and a consolation fund of 200,000 new Taiwan dollars, according to TransAsia.

After a closed-door meeting with the relatives, TransAsia representative Liu Chung-chi said the families did not put forward a figure, but the airline would continue to work toward an agreeable solution.

The company will discuss compensation with those that sustained injures on an individual basis, Liu added.

The families of those that dies in last year's incident received 14.9 million new Taiwan dollars.

The exact cause of the latest crash remains unclear but initial analysis by the Aviation Safety Council (ASC) shows the right engine flashed a warning signal just 37 seconds after takeoff, and the pilots manually cut the fuel supply to the left engine for unknown reasons, leading to a loss of power in both engines.

The 72-seat aircraft, which was manufactured by Franco-Italian firm ATR, can fly or take off with just one functioning engine, said Yann Torres from France's aviation accident investigation bureau (BEA), who is part of the investigation team.

Sources with the aviation authority said the control tower at Taipei International Airport did not hear the "Mayday" call, as the signal was distorted by noises generated by both sides calling one another at the same time. Endi