Taiwan pilot issued ‘mayday’ call before deadly crash

Taiwan rescuers scoured a river for 12 people still missing from a TransAsia plane crash Thursday as the pilot was hailed as a hero for apparently battling to avoid hitting built-up areas shortly after issuing a 'mayday' call.

Investigators sift through the wreckage at the site of a commercial plane crash in Taipei, Taiwan. Wally Santana / AP Photo

TAIPEI // Taiwan rescuers scoured a river for 12 people still missing from a TransAsia plane crash on Thursday, as the pilot, who died in the crash, was hailed a hero for apparently battling to avoid hitting built-up areas.

Hundreds of rescuers in boats, as well as divers and soldiers mounted the search in the chilly waters, as the death toll rose to 31 with more bodies located including those of the pilot and co-pilot.

The TransAsia ATR 72-600 crashed shortly after take-off from Songshan airport in northern Taipei on Wednesday, hitting an elevated road as it banked sidelong towards the Keelung River.

It left behind a trail of debris including a smashed taxi.

The pilot was applauded by aviation experts for apparently steering the plane away from populated areas and high-rise buildings to avoid causing more damage with the aircraft which had 53 passengers and five crew on board.

“Based on the flight path, the pilot deviated and tried to avoid obstacles. The pilot apparently made a conscious effort to avoid further and unnecessary casualties by ditching in the river. It was a very courageous move,” said aviation analyst Daniel Tsang from Hong Kong.

Emotional citizens posted their praise and condolences on social media sites.

“I believe the pilot managed to steer the plane away from high-rise buildings, he is a hero,” Gin Oy, a writer and actress, said on Facebook.

Tales of miracle escapes emerged, as television footage showed a father cuddling his toddler son as they were taken to shore by boat after being rescued on Wednesday.

Together with the child's mother, the family had switched seats on the plane "out of a hunch" that saved their lives, the United Daily News said.

“The family originally sat in the heavily damaged left side but Lin Ming-wei felt uneasy after he heard noises before taking off and requested to switch seats,” the report quoted Dai Bi-chin, a family friend, as saying after visiting them in hospital.

Their new seats put them next to a crack in the plane after it crashed, and the newspaper said Mr Lin was able to pull his wife to safety and then revive his son after spotting him in the water, blue and unresponsive.

The Civil Aeronautics Administration has grounded a total of 22 ATR planes from two Taiwanese airlines for safety checks after the accident — the second fatal crash for TransAsia after 48 people were killed in July.

Desperate crew shouted “Mayday! Mayday! Engine flameout!” as the plane plunged out of the sky, according to a recording thought to be the final message from the cockpit to the control tower played on local television.

* Agence France-Presse