SYDNEY, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A plane that crashed into a Melbourne shopping center in February, killing all five people on board, did not experience engine failure, authorities said.
In the initial report into the crash at the Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) shopping center in Essendon, investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found that the engine of the small plane was working fine, contradicting initial reports that it had experienced "catastrophic" engine failure.
Pilot Max Quartermain, 63, departed Essendon Airport at 9:00 a.m. local time on Feb. 21 with four American tourists on board bound for King Island, a popular golf tourist destination off the coast of Victoria.
The flight lasted just nine seconds, the ATSB said, as Quartermain made seven mayday calls as the plane plunged into the nearby DFO, which was closed at the time, causing a fireball to erupt from the site.
All five men on board were killed but no other bystanders were hurt.
The preliminary report by the ATSB said both the plane's engines were rotating before the plane crashed and there was no evidence of pre-impact failure.
"On-site examination of the wreckage did not identify any pre-existing faults with the aircraft that could have contributed to the accident," the report, released on Thursday, said.
The plane's cockpit voice recorder was recovered from the scene of the crash but it had not recorded the flight, a fault the ATSB continues to investigate.
Recordings of air traffic control audio revealed Quartermain had made the mayday calls but had not broadcasted any further details about the nature of the emergency.
Greg Hood, director of the ATSB, said that the investigation had been stalled by the considerable damage to the aircraft.
"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," Hood told Fairfax Media on Thursday.
"I offer my deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those on board the aircraft. Every effort is being made to determine the cause of this tragic accident."
The final report into the incident is due in February 2018.
