TransAsia starts pilot retraining after deadly crash
TAIPEI, Feb 7 (AFP) - TransAsia Airways cancelled dozens of flights today, the first day of a pilot retraining programme, as rescuers retrieved four more bodies from its second deadly crash in Taiwan in seven months.
Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) ordered all the airline's staff who fly ATR planes to take tests on operating the aircraft after it emerged the pilots may have inexplicably shut off one of the engines before Flight GE235 went down last week.
"Starting today, all of TransAsia's 71 ATR pilots will undergo tests to be carried out by the CAA and third-party professional units for an estimated period of four days," the carrier said in a statement.
"As a result, some of our domestic flights will be adjusted," it said, explaining that 90 domestic flights will be cancelled by Monday.
Pilots who fail the tests will be grounded immediately for an indefinite period of time pending further qualification training, according to the CAA.