What we know:- TransAsia flight GE 235 crash landed into the Keelung River near Taipei approximately two minutes after takeoff. The plane banked 90 degrees and clipped a bridge and taxi before crashing into the Keelung River.- A new recording from the cockpit (you can listen to the ATC recording here) has been released in which you can hear the pilot say, “mayday, mayday, engine flameout.” - Taiwan’s aviation agency said the plane was carrying 58 people at the time of the crash (five crew, 53 passengers). Currently, at least 31 people have died in the crash. Fifteen were injured, and 12 more are still missing. - Flight GE235’s flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders have been recovered for analysis.- Neither local authorities nor TransAsia have yet to suggest any causes for the crash.Rescuers lift the wreckage of the TransAsia ATR 72-600 out of the Keelung river at New Taipei City on February 4, 2015.Media Platforms Design TeamUpdate, Wednesday, 11:08 PM ET: Cockpit audio from the crash has been released, via CNN. Update, Wednesday, 4:50 PM ET: Read our new report from Barbara Peterson on the crash and what we know now.Update, Wednesday, 8:05 AM ET: The death toll rose overnight — at least 21 were killed in the crash. TransAsia CEO Chen Xinde apologized and said 31 of the flight’s passengers were Chinese tourists. Twenty-two were from Taiwan. 23 passengers are still unaccounted for, and 16 survived the crash.Update, Wednesday, 12:46 AM ET: Rescue efforts are underway in Taiwan after a TransAsia flight GE 235 hit an elevated bridge and crashed into the Taipei River around 10:45 AM local time. At least 9 were killed so far in the crash, according to Reuters. The flight had just taken off from the Taipei Songshan Airport, headed toward the Kinmen island chain. The cause of the crash of TNA 235, an ATR-72 propeller plane, isn’t yet known. Dozens of passengers still await rescue — 58 total were onboard the flight. The dramatic video and pictures cropping up on social media are staggering; footage of the crash was caught on several drivers’ dashcams. Media Platforms Design TeamImage from Twitter user @Missxoxo168Video of the crash landing:View full post on YoutubeThe flight from a different angle:View full post on YoutubeThis van was reportedly clipped by the plane:View full post on TwitterView full post on TwitterView full post on TwitterThe location of the crash:View full post on TwitterThis is the plane’s layout:View full post on TwitterDeveloping… Source: The Guardian, Bloomberg and ReutersAdditional reporting by Thomas HoustonJohn WenzWriterJohn Wenz is a Popular Mechanics writer and space obsessive based in Philadelphia. He tweets @johnwenz.Thomas HoustonSite DirectorThomas Houston is the PopularMechanics.com Site Director. Before coming to the site, he was part of the founding editorial team of TheVerge.com, and lead the site’s features team.
