Equal compensation pledged for all crash victims

Relatives of victims of the crash which killed at least 32 people in Taipei, Taiwan, mourn the dead at the scene of the disaster on Thursday. [Photo/IC]

Relatives of those who died in last week's plane crash in Taipei, whether from Taiwan or the Chinese mainland, will receive equal compensation, a TransAsia Airways company executive said on Sunday.

In a statement released on the company's website, Chen Xinde, the airline's chief executive, said compensation will be awarded under the principle of "equal treatment for all people on board the flight" who died in the crash.

Company representatives also met with survivors of the crash to discuss compensation and other matters as rescuers continued to search for three people still missing, including two from the mainland. Divers were using metal detectors to locate the passengers' watches or seat belts at the scene on Sunday.

Chen said a meeting with relatives to discuss the terms of compensation will be arranged for Wednesday.

The company has so far awarded NT$1.2 million ($38,400) to relatives of four passengers, all from Taiwan, for funeral costs. It also gave NT$200,000 to relatives of 41 passengers in emergency consolation payments.

At least 40 people, including 26 from the mainland, died after the turboprop ATR 72-600 crashed into the muddy Keelung River shortly after takeoff on Wednesday morning from Taipei's Songshan Airport en route for Kinmen. Of the 58 passengers and crew on board, 15 were rescued.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the pilots shut off an engine that was running after the other engine went out, a move that aviation experts said was an error.

"It's a mistake," said John M. Cox, a former US Airways pilot and now head of a safety consulting company. "There are procedures that pilots go through－safeguards－when you're going to shut down an engine, particularly close to the ground. Why that didn't occur here, I don't know."

The airline said on Saturday that it has canceled 90 flights from Saturday to Monday as its 71 pilots underwent proficiency tests.

Associated Press contributed to the story.