‘Rudder trim’ key in inquest into Essendon shopping centre plane crash

A court will investigate how a fiery plane crash into a shopping centre that killed five in Melbourne could have happened.

The position of an important part of an aircraft will be key in an upcoming inquest into a horror plane crash into a shopping centre that killed five people. The flight was bound for King Island.

The Coroners Court of Victoria will examine the circumstances of the crash on February 21, 2017, when a small aircraft flown by pilot Max Quartermain crashed into Essendon Airport Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre seconds after taking off about 9am.

Mr Quartermain died, as did all four passengers on board – Greg De Haven, Glenn Garland, Russell Munsch and John Washburn, American tourists on their way to King Island off the coast of Tasmania.

Pilot Max Quartermain died in a tragic plane crash in Essendon in February 2017. Picture: Supplied

American tourists John Washburn, Glenn Garland, Russell Munsch and Greg DeHaven, pictured on a golfing trip in New Zealand, lost their lives in the tragic crash. Picture: Facebook

The position of the plane’s rudder trim before takeoff will be examined, the court heard in a pre-inquest hearing on Tuesday.

“The rudder trim being nose hard left certainly has been referred to in the inquest brief at length, and is said to be a serious issue so far as a cause for concern,” coroner Darren Bracken said.

The court previously heard the plane prepared for takeoff just before 9am with instructions to turn to the right.

A small aircraft crashed into Essendon Airport Bulla Road Precinct Retail Outlet Centre seconds after taking off about 9am on February 21, 2017.

A coronial inquest due to start in September will examine the circumstances of the crash. Picture: Jordan Fouracre / AFP

Instead, it was seen by witnesses veering to the left as it reached 160 feet, and was only in the air for 10 seconds before it began to descend.

Two seconds later it collided with the roof of the shopping centre building and crashed into a loading area, bursting into flames.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found: “The primary physical cause of the accident was that the aircraft’s rudder trim was likely in full nose left position at the commencement of the takeoff”.

The inquest is scheduled to begin on September 21.

Originally published as ‘Rudder trim’ key in inquest into Essendon shopping centre plane crash