In February, four Americans on a golfing holiday and a Victorian pilot died when a small plane crashed into a Melbourne DFO shopping centre soon after take-off from Essendon Airport.
Do we know what caused the crash?
Not yet. The The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says a few things have hampered its investigation:
* there's no audio from the accident flight on the plane's black box
* the crash and post-impact fire caused considerable damage to the aircraft
What do we know?
Audio recordings from air traffic control show pilot Max Quartermain repeated the word "MAYDAY" seven times shortly after takeoff.
Police at the time said the plane appeared to have suffered catastrophic engine failure.
But the ATSB found no evidence of internal components malfunctioning in the engines.
The last recording on the cockpit voice recorder was from a flight in early January.
The plane rolled when it hit the shopping centre roof before skidding off and coming to rest in the rear car park.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood. says: "The extensive damage caused by the collision and post-impact fire has meant investigators are yet to determine a clear picture of the causal factors behind the accident and loss of life."
What's next?
The final report isn't due for another 12 months. Until then, investigators will be examining what is left of the plane and factors such as:
* the approval process of the shopping centre
* the pilot's medical history
* why the CVR failed to record
If it finds any safety issues during the investigation, the ATSB has promised to immediately notify authorities and operators.
