TransAsia Airways is cancelling 90 of its flights, so it could retrain its pilots following Wednesday's crash.

TransAsia says, all 71 pilots flying its ATR Fleet will be pulled out to go through a special training.

"All 71 ATR pilots will take part in proficiency tests carried out by the CAA and third-party professionals for an estimated four days," TransAsia Airways said in a statement. 

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Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) also ordered engine and fuel system checks on the 22 ATR planes currently servicing Taiwan. 

Initial probe showed the pilots of the ill-fated TransAsia flight, shut off  the plane's remaining running engine, after the first engine went idle.  Aviation experts say, this was an error.

"It's a mistake," said John Cox, a former US Airways pilot who now heads 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.' Cox added.

Local prosecutors had earlier said, they are not ruling put pilot error.

But Thomas Wang, head of Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council was quick to say, it was too early to conclude the pilots made a mistake.

Despite this, Chief Pilot Liao Chien-Tsung received praises, for steering the plane away from residential and commercial buildings, a move that has likely prevented a bigger number of casualties. 

On Saturday, 5 more bodies were retrieved by search and rescue teams, about a hundred meters from the crash site. This brings the death toll to 40.

Fifteen people were rescued after the tragic accident, while 3 more remain unaccounted for.

Relatives of those missing have given up hope, saying it's impossible for their loved ones to survive the cold river.  They just want their bodies found.

TagsTransAsia crash, plane crash, Taiwan