Death toll from TransAsia Airways plane crash rises to 38

Relatives leave the rescue site after holding a memorial ceremony for plane crash victims in Taipei, Southeast China's Taiwan, Feb 7, 2015. Rescuers on Saturday morning recovered three more bodies, raising the death toll from the TransAsia Airways plane crash to 38. Five passengers are still missing. [Photo/Xinhua]

The TransAsia Airlines flight that crashed in Taipei on Wednesday lost power in both engines before it went down, but one had its power cut rather than suffering any mechanical failure.

The Aviation Safety Council (ASC) said the plane ran into trouble 37 seconds after taking off from Taipei's Songshan Airport. Engine No. 2 (right) sent a "master warning" signal to the pilots, according to initial analysis of the flight data recorders. Data suggests that the crew tried to cut the fuel supply to the engine on the left.

Thomas Wang, managing director of the ASC, said the pilot announced a "flame-out", which can occur when the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted or when there is faulty combustion. However, Wang said there was in fact no flame-out, and the engine on the right side had shifted into idle mode without any change in oil pressure.

"The aircraft flashed a flame-out signal for the No. 2 engine at 10:53:28 when at an altitude of 1,200 feet," Wang said.

Engine No.1 was still operating normally at that point but was cut at 10:53:24 am for reasons unknown.

"During the flight's final moments, neither engine had any thrust. We heard 'Mayday' at 10:54:35," he added.

The 72-seater aircraft, an ATR 72-600 manufactured by Franco-Italian firm ATR, is able to fly or take off with just one functioning engine, said Yann Torres, of France's aviation accident investigation bureau (BEA) who has joined the investigation.

"We can't answer any question concerning the 'why' at the moment," Wang said.

According to the cockpit voice recorder, the crew discussed throttling back Engine No.1 at 10:52:43 a.m., just four seconds after the master warning for the other engine went off.