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Melbourne plane crash that killed five blamed on 'catastrophic engine failure' Melbourne plane crash that killed five blamed on 'catastrophic engine failure'
(35 minutes later)
A plane that crashed into a shopping centre near Essendon airport in Melbourne, killing five people, had a “catastrophic engine failure” shortly after takeoff, police have said. A plane that crashed into a shopping centre near Essendon airport in Melbourne, killing four US tourists and their Australian pilot, had a “catastrophic engine failure” shortly after takeoff, police have said.
An Australian pilot and four US tourists heading to King Island to play golf were on the twin-engine aircraft, which left the airport about 9am on Tuesday. The twin-engine aircraft, which issued a mayday shortly after leaving the airport about 9am on Tuesday, was taking the tourists to King Island to play golf.
“The pilot unfortunately attempted to return to Essendon but has crashed into the DFO at Essendon Fields,” a police assistant commissioner, Stephen Leane, told reporters.“The pilot unfortunately attempted to return to Essendon but has crashed into the DFO at Essendon Fields,” a police assistant commissioner, Stephen Leane, told reporters.
Leane said there had been “a number of fatalities” but none of the staff at the shopping centre – which was not yet open to the public – had been killed. Leane said none of the staff at Direct Factory Outlets – which was not yet open to the public – had been injured. “Looking at the fireball, it is incredibly lucky that no one was at the back of those stores or in the car park of the stores that no one was even hurt,” he said.
The US embassy has confirmed that four of citizens were killed. The US embassy has confirmed that four American citizens were killed.
The state premier, Daniel Andrews, said it was the worst civil aviation disaster in Victoria for 30 years, and commended the work of emergency service personnel who attended the scene.The state premier, Daniel Andrews, said it was the worst civil aviation disaster in Victoria for 30 years, and commended the work of emergency service personnel who attended the scene.
Essendon airport and the DFO shopping centre have been closed indefinitely to allow for investigations by the coroner and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Essendon airport and the DFO centre have been closed to allow for investigations by the coroner and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Only police, ambulance and firefighting planes, which are based at Essendon, were given clearance to fly. Debris-strewn lanes of the Tullamarine freeway were also closed to traffic.
Only police, ambulance, and firefighting planes, which are based at Essendon, were given clearance to fly. Authorities confirmed earlier that the plane was a commercial charter flight bound for the island in the Bass Strait. The Beechcraft Super King Airplane, owned by Myjet, had been hired by Corporate and Leisure Travel.
Victoria’s police minister confirmed earlier on Tuesday that the plane was a commercial charter flight bound for the island in the Bass Strait. The state’s emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said psychological support would be provided to emergency services personnel and witnesses to the crash, saying the government had “learned a lot from Bourke Street” about managing trauma. Counselling services were offered after last month’s Bourke Street tragedy, which led to the deaths of six people.
Andrews said he had spoken to his Tasmanian counterpart, Will Hodgman, about how the closure of the airport might affect freight routes.
Police reopened the outbound lanes of the Tullamarine Freeway but inbound lanes covered with debris from the crash were closed.
The emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said psychological support would be provided to emergency services personnel and witnesses to the crash, saying the government had “learned a lot from Bourke Street” about managing trauma.
Counselling services were offered in the wake of last month’s Bourke Street tragedy, which led to the deaths of six people.
Superintendent Mick Frewen said at a press conference earlier on Tuesday that police did not know how many people may have been in the shopping centre when the crash occurred. “We have been unable to assess the scene because the fire is still burning,” Frewen said.
“As soon as the MFP [Metropolitan Fire Brigade] put out the fire we will do an assessment on the structural integrity of the building, and then we will send in people to check for injuries or fatalities.”
Frewen confirmed it was a charter flight.
.@theheraldsun nasty stuff. I saw a yellow and red fiery ball explode then black plumes of smoke pic.twitter.com/gDTQESftMv.@theheraldsun nasty stuff. I saw a yellow and red fiery ball explode then black plumes of smoke pic.twitter.com/gDTQESftMv
The explosion sent one of the aircraft’s wheels on to the Tullamarine Freeway, Fairfax Radio reported, and police closed the Tullamarine and Calder freeways as a plume of black smoke covered the area. The fireball sent one of the aircraft’s wheels on to the Tullamarine freeway, Fairfax Radio reported, and police closed the Tullamarine and Calder freeways as a plume of black smoke covered the area.
Witnesses said on Twitter they had seen a large fireball followed by a plume of black smoke. Witnesses said on Twitter they had seen a large explosion followed by a plume of black smoke.
A caller to ABC Melbourne, Jason, said he was in a taxi when he looked out the window and saw what he thought was a twin-propeller plane. A caller to ABC Melbourne, Jason, said he was in a taxi when he looked out the window and saw the plane.
“I saw this plane coming in really low and fast. It went just behind the barriers so I couldn’t see the impact but when it hit the building there was a massive fireball,” he told ABC 774.“I saw this plane coming in really low and fast. It went just behind the barriers so I couldn’t see the impact but when it hit the building there was a massive fireball,” he told ABC 774.
“I could feel the heat through the window of the taxi, and then a wheel, it looked like a plane wheel, bounced on the road and hit the front of the taxi as we were driving along. We kept driving and there was big fireball behind us.”“I could feel the heat through the window of the taxi, and then a wheel, it looked like a plane wheel, bounced on the road and hit the front of the taxi as we were driving along. We kept driving and there was big fireball behind us.”
Hearing reports of a plane crash in Essendon? Lots of smoke to be seen. pic.twitter.com/gRkcWaLE0yHearing reports of a plane crash in Essendon? Lots of smoke to be seen. pic.twitter.com/gRkcWaLE0y
A woman who dropped her daughter off at the Spotlight store in the shopping complex on Tuesday morning told Fairfax Radio her daughter had said the plane crashed into that store and it was on fire, but that all staff were unharmed. A woman who dropped her daughter off at the Spotlight store in the shopping complex on Tuesday morning told Fairfax Radio her daughter had said the store was on fire but that all staff were unharmed.
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, tweeted his condolences.The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, tweeted his condolences.
Horrific scenes from Essendon. Hard to fathom such an ordinary morning could turn so tragic.Horrific scenes from Essendon. Hard to fathom such an ordinary morning could turn so tragic.
Debris from the crash was found up to 100 metres away, Seven News reported.Debris from the crash was found up to 100 metres away, Seven News reported.
Burnt insulation blanket in park, across freeway about 100 metres from DFO where light plane crashed. 6pm #7NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/tvoB3GwdMIBurnt insulation blanket in park, across freeway about 100 metres from DFO where light plane crashed. 6pm #7NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/tvoB3GwdMI
Aviation safety investigators have begun examining the wreckage. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has sent four investigators – one from Brisbane and three from Canberra – to examine the crash site.
“It will be very difficult because the aircraft was carrying a great amount of fuel, because it was starting a flight, so there’s a lot of gas and a lot of fire,” said a University of South Australia aviation lecturer, Dr Douglas Drury.
Drury said the King Air plane was highly regarded by pilots: “The King Air is a very robust aircraft. It’s been in operation for a number of years, flown thousands of hours around the globe. It’s a trusted aircraft.”
Residents of King Island have been left shaken by the crash. “Because we all fly, it shakes us,” said the mayor, Duncan McFie.
He said golf tourism was “critically important” to the island of fewer than 2,000 people, and in the past 12 to 18 months, with the opening of two new courses, it had become an international golfing destination.