Essendon crash: Five killed as plane plunges into shopping centre near Melbourne's Essendon Airport

Updated

Five people have died as a result of Victoria's worst civil aviation accident in 30 years, after a plane crashed into a shopping centre near Melbourne's Essendon Airport.

Key points: A charter plane crashed into the back of shops, killing all five people on board

Workers were in the building at the time, but all are believed to have survived

Witnesses saw the plane flying "fast and low" before the crash

Witnesses described seeing the plane, identified as a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, erupt into a "massive fireball" after it smashed into the DFO centre just after 9:00am on Tuesday.

Look back at events as they unfolded.

Pilot Max Quartermain was killed, and the US embassy in Canberra confirmed the other four people on board were US citizens.

"The US embassy in Canberra and US consulate in Melbourne are working closely with local authorities," an embassy statement said.

Family used social media to pay tribute to two of the victims: Greg De Haven, who was on a golf trip, and Texas lawyer Russell Munsch.

Mr Quartermain was the co-owner of Corporate and Leisure Aviation, which operated the plane.

The ABC has confirmed the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating one of the planes run by the company, which was involved in a near miss at Mount Hotham in 2015.

The final report is due to be released to the public by May.

The company's website said Mr Quartermain had over 38 years of charter experience and "an impeccable safety record".

It is believed the group was on their way to King Island, off Tasmania's north coast.

The plane crashed into the back of shops — including a Spotlight store — and a carpark, which is opposite the busy Tullamarine Freeway.

A Spotlight store manager said 20 staff were inside at the time, but none were injured.

The shopping centre was not open.

'Like a movie'

Witnesses reported seeing a flash before the plane burst into a "massive fireball" that looked like something out of the movies.

Michael Howard, a 29-year-old plumber, said he saw a blue flash come down past the DFO billboard.

"Then it hit the Spotlight and erupted into a huge fireball," he said.

"[I thought] what the hell? That doesn't happen every day. It was crazy, like something from a movie."

A wheel and other debris from the plane was found on the Tullamarine Freeway.

Adelaide man Jason told ABC Radio Melbourne he was in a taxi and saw the plane coming in low and fast.

"The plane was coming way, way fast. I thought, that's faster than normal," he said.

"It looked like it hit the building. There was a massive fireball. I could feel the heat through the window.

"Then a wheel, it looked like a plane wheel, bounced on the road."

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Fireball after plane crashes into DFO shopping centre near Essendon Airport (ABC News)

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the relatives of those on board were being contacted.

"We are currently reaching out to their families to provide them with the support that they need to try to comfort them at what must be just such a horrible moment," he said.

In a statement, Essendon Airport CEO Chris Cowan said both the airport and the shopping centre were closed while investigations were underway.

Coroner, transport authorities to investigate

There will be several investigations into the crash.

A coroner will investigate the deaths with help from Victoria Police, and the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau has sent a team of four people to the scene to investigate.

"It is very important important that we allow them to run their investigation … so we can get the facts, know exactly what has gone on here and learn from this terrible tragedy," Mr Andrews said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull expressed his sympathies to the victims of the plane crash.

He said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy and extended his wishes to the families of those involved.

Crash causes ongoing disruptions

Essendon Airport and the shopping centre will remain closed until further notice to allow investigators to gather evidence, including debris.

The shopping centre also has significant structural damage and officials want to make sure the surface of the freeway has not been damaged.

The Tullamarine and Calder freeways were earlier partially closed inbound after the crash, but have been reopened.

Essendon Airport is a significant hub for air freight and Mr Andrews said he had already discussed the situation with his Tasmanian counterpart, Will Hodgman.

The police and ambulance helicopters and the firefighting air crane will continue to operate from Essendon under special arrangements for now.

The crash has raised questions about the safety of having two airports in such a densely populated area.

Mr Andrews said now was not the time to discuss those issues.

"The most important thing is to allow those investigations to run their course and to determine what exactly has gone on here," the Premier said.

"Those facts will be established as a result of that work and then any learnings can follow those finding are fact.

"The most important thing is not to be second-guessing the investigation, but to be supporting it and let it run its course.

"Dealing with the facts is the most important and respectful thing we can do."

Topics: accidents, air-and-space, disasters-and-accidents, fires, essendon-3040, melbourne-3000, vic

First posted</s>Vision shows the impact of a plane that crashed into a shopping centre near Essendon airport in Melbourne. The light aircraft crashed into the DFO shopping centre at Essendon and exploded about 9am on Tuesday. The Victorian police minister, Lisa Neville, has confirmed there were five people on board the plane</s>A plane has crashed into a shopping centre near Essendon airport in Melbourne.

The light aircraft crashed into the DFO shopping centre at Essendon and exploded about 9am on Tuesday.

Victoria’s police minister has confirmed there were five people on board the plane.S

Victoria police superintendent Mick Frewan said at a press conference on Tuesday that police had not been able to confirm any fatalities and 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 at a press conference on Tuesday.

“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 said the plane crashed into the back of a furniture store and a JB Hi-Fi store.

He confirmed it was a charter flight, but said Essendon Airport had not confirmed the ownership or passenger list with police.

The explosion sent one of the aircraft wheels on to the adjacent Tullamarine Freeway, Fairfax Radio has reported, and police have closed the Tullamarine and Calder Freeways as a plume of black smoke covers the area.

Frewen said there was extensive debris on the freeway and the roads would remained closed until the Civil Aviation Safety Authority could investigate.

Witnesses on Twitter said they saw a large fireball 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.

“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.”

The shopping centre is on the edge of Essendon airport. It is understood the plane crashed into stores on the edge of the shopping centre, which does not open to the public until 10am.

A woman who dropped her daughter off at the Spotlight store on Tuesday morning told Fairfax Radio her daughter confirmed the plane had crashed into that store and it was on fire, but that all staff were unharmed.

The plane was reportedly a five-person Beechcraft charter plane on its way to King Island.

Ambulance Victoria said earlier reports that it was an air ambulance were incorrect.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews skipped a caucus meeting on Tuesday morning to be briefed on the crash.

Debris from the crash was found up to 100m away, Seven News reported.</s>Five people have died after a small plane crashed into a shopping centrein the Australian city of Melbourne.

The plane reportedly suffered engine failure and crashed shortly after taking off from the small Essendon Airport, said Victoria state police assistant commissioner Stephen Leane.

The crash happened at around 9 a.m local time, about an hour before the shopping centre was due to open and there were no fatalities other than those aboard the aircraft, he added.

Police have not yet released information about the identity of thecasualties.

The plane had been bound for King Island in Bass Strait between the mainland and the southern island state of Tasmania.

A spokeswoman for Airservices Australia said flights in and out of Melbourne's main airport were unaffected.

Essendon Airport, which is used mainly by light aircraft, remainedclosed.The Australian Transport Safety Bureau have launched an investigation into the crash.</s>A small plane has crashed into a DFO (Direct Factory Outlet) shopping mall after takeoff from Essendon Airport in the Australian city of Melbourne, according to witnesses reports.

According to witnesses there was a fiery explosion and thick plumes of black smoke coming from the crash site.

​Victoria Police Minister said that the aircraft could carry as many as five people. There were no immediate reports on casualties.

The crashed plane reportedly was a charter Beechcraft B200 Super King Air attempting to take off for a flight to King Island.</s>The charter flight carrying four US citizens and an Australian pilot is said to have suffered a "catastrophic engine failure" shortly after taking off from the small Essendon Airport, according to police reports. Footage captured from a motorist's dashcam and published by TEN Eyewitness News shows the plane heading towards the Direct Factory Outlet, seconds before it crashed. Plumes of smoke could be seen billowing into the air after the carrier smashed into the outlet close to the Melbourne airport. The blaze took more than 60 firefighters to bring under control, while police shut the adjacent Tullamarine Freeway after witnesses spotted debris from the plane scattered across the road.

Jason, an ABC radio caller, said he was in a taxi when he looked out the window and saw what he thought was a twin-propeller 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 said. Victoria's Premier and MP Daniel Andrews said it was the "worst civilian aviation accident in the state in 30 years".

Reports claim the four passengers were US tourists and the pilot was an experienced operator in his 60s. The plane, understood to be chartered for a golf trip to King Island, took off and got to about 30 metres before veering left and crashing into the centre. Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said: "[There were] five on the aircraft and looks like no-one has survived the crash. "At this stage the advice we have is there are no fatalities other than on the aircraft itself.

"At this very moment we have people speaking with relatives, so what I would ask is we are not prepared to release details in relation to that until we've had an opportunity to speak to relatives and for them to contact other people they wish to and later in the day we will release details." Local media named the pilot as 63-year-old Max Quatermain. The experienced pilot had been a pilot for 38 years and desperately tried to save the doomed aircraft as it plummeted into the DTFO shopping centre. According to the Mail, among the four late US passengers, Greg De Haven, 70, a retired FBI agent from Texas and Russell Munsch, 62, who was also from Texas. The other passengers are yet to be identified, in a statement, as US embassy spokesman said: "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loves ones of those who died in today's tragic crash.

We can confirm four US citizens were on board. The US Embassy in Canberra and US Consulate in Melbourne are working closely with local authorities." The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would investigate how the twin-engine Beechcraft B200 Kind Air crashed soon after 9.00am local time on Tuesday. The Direct Factory Outlets centre was not open to the public at the time, Victoria police said: "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 hurt." A spokeswoman for Spotlight, a retailer in the shopping area, confirmed the plane had smashed into one of its rear warehouses and all staff were safe.</s>SYDNEY – A small plane carrying five people crashed into a shopping center near an airport outside Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, on Tuesday and officials said an unknown number of people may have been killed.

The network broadcast pictures showing smoke billowing from the shopping mall near Essendon airport, a small airfield close to Melbourne, and firefighters hosing down the burning wreckage.

Neville said five people were on board the plane, which was a charter flight to King Island in Bass Strait between the Australian mainland and the southern island state of Tasmania.

Police said the plane crashed just before 9 a.m. (2300 GMT Monday), about an hour before the Direct Factory Outlet shopping mall was due to open.

Essendon Airport is a small airfield mainly used by light planes. A spokeswoman for Airservices Australia said flights in and out of Melbourne’s main airport were not affected.</s>Video: Five feared dead after light aircraft crashes into Melbourne shopping centre, sending up 'big fireball'

Five people are believed to have been on board a charter plane that crashed in a Melbourne direct factory outlet and exploded.</s>Five people have died after a light plane crashed into a shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia.

The charter flight appeared to have had a “catastrophic engine failure” shortly after taking off from the small Essendon Airport, said Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane.

Everyone on board is believed dead.

“At this stage the advice we have is there are no fatalities other than on the aircraft itself,” the commissioner said.

The shopping centre was not open to the public at the time.

“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 added.

Local media reported US nationals were among those on the plane, which was bound for Tasmania’s King Island.

“A number of people have died as a result of what is the worst civil aviation accident that our state has seen for 30 years.”

A spokeswoman for Spotlight, a retailer in the complex, said the plane crashed into its rear warehouse but all staff were safe.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would investigate how the twin-engine Beechcraft B200 King Air crashed soon after 09:00 local time on Tuesday (22:00 GMT Monday).

Local media named the pilot as 63-year-old Max Quartermain. He had decades of flying experience and an “impeccable safety record”, according to the website of charter company Corporate and Leisure Aviation, which he owned with his wife.

Essendon Airport, mostly used by light planes, is about 13km (8 miles) north-west of central Melbourne.

It has been closed, but the city’s main hubs for commercial air traffic – Melbourne Airport and Avalon Airport – remain open.

The crash sent black smoke high into the air and ignited a blaze that required more than 60 firefighters to bring under control.

Police shut the adjacent Tullamarine Freeway after witnesses spotted debris from the plane including a wheel on the road. The area around the shops was evacuated, and three nearby schools were closed.

Video showed thick smoke and fire at the wreckage scene.

“Immediately I could tell it was something horrific, the explosion would have gone 30m [100ft] high and ballooned upwards in red and black,” witness Mikey Cahill told the Herald Sun.

Another witness, Daniel May, said he was waiting for the shopping centre to open when the plane came down.

“There was an orange explosion and then smoke,” he told The Age. “Emergency crews rushed very quickly in, soon after, and I left the area.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was “deeply saddened” as he offered condolences to the families of the victims.

King Island, popular for its beaches and dairy farms, lies 245km (150 miles) south of Melbourne in Bass Strait.</s>A plane with five people on board has crashed into the side of a shopping centre near Essendon Airport, in Melbourne's north, sparking a fire at the centre.

A State Government spokesperson said that a Beechcraft five-person charter flight to King Island crashed soon after take-off at 9:00am.

Follow the developments on our live blog.

Police Minister Lisa Neville confirmed there were five people on board.

"It appears to be a very, very tragic accident that has occurred out there," Ms Neville said.

"It appears a light plane, which is a charter flight, has impacted the DFO [shopping centre] at Essendon Fields.

"There's also debris that's been left on the [Tullamarine] freeway."

It is not known if there are any fatalities or injuries.

At least 13 fire trucks are at the scene.

Adelaide man Jason told ABC Radio Melbourne he was in a taxi and saw the plane coming in low and fast.

"The plane was coming way, way fast. I thought that's faster than normal," he said.

"Then a wheel, it looked like a plane wheel, bounced on the road."

Michael, another caller, said he was driving on the freeway and saw the crash happen.

"I was merging onto the Calder Freeway from the Tullamarine Freeway and I saw the plane come down over the airport and the impact into the buildings," he said.

"I saw the plane come [in] and [saw] the explosion sort of behind the pre-cast concrete wall.

"I saw the plane swoop down and it sort of went over the shopping centre and then there was a big explosion and a black plume of smoke that came out.

Local resident Mickey Cahill told ABC News 24 the aircraft was flying precariously close to houses before the incident, which happened under cloudless skies in seemingly good conditions.

"Straight away I thought it was the airport. I whipped out my phone but police were sending everybody away," he said.

"The smoke has cleared now but initially it was really kind of dark-as-midnight smoke rising up.

Pilot radar websites indicate the plane was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air registered VH-ZCR.

VicRoads said the Tullamarine Freeway is currently closed in both directions between English Street and McNamara Ave.

The Calder Freeway is closed between Pascoe Vale Road and McNamara Ave.

Bulla Road is closed at the Tullamarine Freeway, including the inbound entry ramp.

Motorists are being asked to exit the Tullamarine as soon as possible.
A charter plane crashes into a Direct Factory Outlets shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia, shortly after taking off from Essendon Airport, killing the five people on board.