Confirmed its ZCR

Investigation: AO-2017-024 - Collision with terrain involving B200 King Air VH-ZCR at Essendon Airport, Victoria on 21 February 2017


http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/li...20-guhemi.html

Nose wheel is on the freeway. Seems like the wheels were probably still down.

Eyewitness on 3AW reports wings "wobbling" as it passed over her head. Wobbling explained as wings lifting and dipping, left right left right.

The five on board...was that including crew?

Just seen video on ABC of the wheel on the freeway.

Reports are indicating 1 pilot and 4 pax. Pax were apparently U.S. tourists visiting for a golf tournament on King Island, so ID could take a while. Two bodies have been recovered so far.

Still not say actually death toll but Premier saying worst crash in 30 years.

crash of Beech Super King Air 200 VH-AAV

I wouldn't, necessarily, put too much weight on AAV's being similar. One of the problems there was an operator-grown reduced thrust takeoff procedure, as I recall.

Police commissioner saying "Catastrophic Engine Failure"

Not quite - saying "Reports of ..." and "Appears to be...". He is correctly not making absolute statements.

Catastrophic engine failure of both engines simultaneously would be extremely rare.

The yaw + the wing hitting the roof first indicates a EFATO. Maybe an early rotate and failure below VMCA?

A very sad event for the many folk who will be affected by it.

Hopefully the coroner will include in his investigations the wisdom and appropriateness of retail and similar commercial developments occurring at each of the secondary airports and around Australia, and even the housing developments that encroach on so many regionals as well.

The ESC has just been on ABCTV and stated that YMEN is closed.

Kaz

Yeah, they handled the press confidence very well.

There are plenty of traffic cameras and security cameras around the airport and DFO, wonder if anything was captured, could be vital to the investigation. There are some reports that the pilot did contact ATC, seems very quick to do so.

kaz3g - Correct, and a wise observation. As the King Air ploughed a wing through the roof of one retail building and then went through a car parking area and ploughed into other buildings, it amazes me that there haven't been any reported fatalities on the ground. Only by sheer luck of the draw, I would say.
Any other time during the day, the total number of fatalities could have been substantial.

Reports of two maydays being received.
Any confirmation?

I'm curious that officials are saying "catastrophic" engine failure occurred.

Did the mayday/s contain the phrase "catostrophic"?

Mickjoebill

One track, the shopping centre wasn't due to open for about another hour when the crash occurred, and I think the area the aircraft impacted is storage rather than retail. So hopefully those two factors mean no additional ground people were injured/killed in the accident.

Channel 9 has an "aviation expert" from Monash University (sounded like they gave the name as Prof Greg Bamber) prattling on about the King Air being a "single engine aircraft"

I was just watching that....not only was that fool embarrasingly clueless, the questions asked by the TV presenter were classic empty-head-media-personality standard.

Who here doesnt struggle when asked for their professional view of an event by non industry friends and family....especially after the news outlets drag out some expert buffoon like this Greg whatever who 30 seconds into his delivery of aircrash investigation for dummies starts rambling about freeway congestion and building a new rail link to the airfield.

I did once wonder if other professions (law, engineering, science ?) also have expert buffoons available to the media for commentary after major events....and if they did what does that say about the percentage of bull**** in print or broadcast reporting that is swallowed unknowingly and without question by the masses.

A big enough monster in the print and TV media could effectively control and manipulate the general intelligence and world views of the population by feeding the right amount of BS at the right times.....wait what was that about "fake news..?"

Best location for a view down Luton's runway is the car park of the Jigsaw Play Nursery. At Tullamarine the cross runway is in line with the new Border Force station.


Mickjoebill

https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft-reg...eld_ar_serial=

Appears as if the Registered Operator commencement date was only last Thursday (16 Feb '17)

Terribly sad for everyone involved.

I don't think your description is correct. If you look at the aerial view in post 34 there are no buildings between the main DFO building and the roadway beyond. There is a deliver/staging area and a fence. The aircraft struck the roof and part of it may be in the building (port wing?) and bulk of the wreckage appears to be in the goods delivery area at the rear of the building. Yes, a few staff cars park there, but it is a staging and delivery area.

No wonder the media get things so wrong when even the aviation people do :*

I doubt it Kaz, what is more likely to happen is that airports in the middle of built up areas (despite the airport being there first) will be criticised and calls for it to be closed down.