TransAsia ATR Pilots Grounded After Failing Tests

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More than half of TransAsia’s ATR pilots are grounded as the airline continues to test their proficiency. Ten of 49 pilots so far are grounded after failing the oral exams TransAsia ordered after the Feb. 4 crash of one of its ATR-72s in Taipei; another 19 are suspended until they take the test, Reuters reported Wednesday. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Authority wants all airlines it regulates to conduct safety reviews, Reuters reported. The ATR-72 crash was TransAsia’s second in seven months and the airline had suffered previous crashes since 1995, according to the Reuters report.

An unnamed TransAsia pilot told Reuters the tests were conducted by a CAA official and a pilot from rival carrier Uni Air. “Some of us have stayed up all night to prepare for the tests,” the TransAsia pilot said. “Those who failed will be suspended for one month. They will be given another month for preparation. If they fail again, they will be fired.” Last week’s crash, which killed 42 of the 58 people on board, was shown on video clipping a bridge in a steep bank before plunging into the Keelung River. The ATR’s flight data recorders showed the right engine malfunctioning after takeoff, followed by a manual cutoff to fuel for the left engine. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that TransAsia said it would consider raising minimum flight hours for new pilots above the 300 now required. The International Civil Aviation Organization will send personnel to TransAsia on March 2 to assist with a fleet inspection, the newspaper reported.

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