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1st LD-Writethru: "Pulled back the wrong side throttle": Pilot before TransAsia plane crash

Xinhua, July 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

The pilot of the ill-fated TransAsia Airways Flight GE23 said: "Wow, pulled back the wrong side throttle," eight seconds before the aircraft crashed into a river in February, killing 43, according to Taiwan's aviation body.

Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council (ASC) on Thursday released the transcript of the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

Although an irregularity was detected in the number two engine, it was recorded that the number one engine was shut down manually, the ASC report showed.

TIME LINE OF FEB. 4 ACCIDENT

10:51:39 -- Flight GE235 takes off from Taipei Songshan Airport.

10:52:38 -- While at 1,200 feet, the master warning sounds accompanied by the message "eng2 flame out at take off" on the warning display.

10:52:41 -- Chief pilot disengages autopilot as the aircraft climbs through 1,300 feet, he says: "I will pull back engine one throttle".

10:53:06 -- Copilot confirms flameout in the number two engine.

10:53:15 -- Engine one power lever is at the "idle position", at an angle of 34.5 degrees.

10:53: 09 -- The plane reaches its highest altitude of 1,630 feet and starts to descend at 102 knots.

10:53:13 -- The stall warning sounds.

10:53:24 -- Engine one condition lever at the "fuel shut off" position

10:53:30 -- Engine one propellers in feather condition, meaning power to the wing is disrupted.

10:53:35 -- Copilot informs Songshan air traffic control tower of aircraft's engine flameout emergency.

10:53:46 to 10:54:04 -- Chief pilot attempts to reengage autopilot twice but fails. The aircraft stalls again.

10:54:09 -- Chief pilot says "restart the engine" after copilot says "both sides lost". Copilot also says "cannot restart it" while the plane was at 401 feet.

10:54:27 -- Aircraft is at 309 feet with a speed of 105 knots, chief pilot says: "Wow, pulled back the wrong side throttle."

10:54:35 -- The left wing collides with a taxi on an elevated expressway on the left bank of Keelung River. The wing hits the expressway barrier and a street light, before the plane crashes into the Keelung.

The incident was TransAsia Airways' 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, killing 48 of the 58 on board.

Thursday's report contains factual data following a more than four-month investigation, said ASC official Thomas Wang.

The ASC will analyze the data to confirm the cause of the accident. A draft final report is proposed for November this year.

The final report will be published in April 2016, Wang said. Endi