'Mayday, mayday, engine flameout': Details of TransAsia flight's final moments emerge

A pilot onboard the TransAsia Airways flight that careened into the Keelung River killing dozens in Taipei Wednesday said "mayday, mayday, engine flameout" moments before the plane banked sharply and crashed.

See also: More than 20 dead after TransAsia flight clips bridge in Taiwan

The communication was revealed by an aviation official Thursday, who declined to comment on a possible cause for the accident.

Engine flameout refers to flames being extinguished in the combustion chamber of the engine, so that it shuts down and no longer drives the propeller. Causes of a flameout could include a lack of fuel or being struck by volcanic ash, a bird or some other object. "Mayday" is an international emergency call. Read more...

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