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Air Traffic Control provided instructions for altitude changes, but the left engine's thrust had nearly dropped to idle while the right remained fully powered. The flight crew failed to recognize the deteriorating circumstance that claimed control of their aircraft.

The Turning Point

It wasn’t until they were warned of excessive bank angles—the first major indication of trouble—that the pilots realized the gravity of their predicament. As the captain mistakenly assumed they were in a steep right turn, he aggressively pulled the controls to the left, dramatically increasing the left bank angle.