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Author's right of the image
ATSB
The five people on board were killed in the crash last year
The pilot error was the cause of a small plane crash that killed five people in Melbourne last year, according to Australian authorities.
The plane struck a mall after takeoff, killing the pilot Max Quartermain and his four US passengers. Two people on the ground were slightly injured.
Authorities responsible for aviation safety reported that the rudder trim of the aircraft was in the wrong position, causing the crash.
The problem should have been detected during the pre-flight checks, they said.
Passengers Greg Reynolds De Haven, Russell Munsch, Glenn Garland and John Washburn traveled to King of Tasmania on a golf trip in September.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said it was the worst civil aviation accident in the state in 30 years.
May calls
Quartermain, an experienced pilot, issued seven Mayday calls after taking off from Essendon's small Melbourne airport.
The plane flew for 10 seconds before crashing into a Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) mall.
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According to the Australian Transportation Safety Board (ATSB), the pilot had "several opportunities" to detect that the aircraft's rudder trim was in the nose position to the left.
"The pilot's practice in adjusting and confirming the rudder position, such as the function check, could not be established," says the final report released on Monday.
The ATSB stated that the flight operator did not have an appropriate control system at the time of the accident.
The report also noted that the weight on board the Beechcraft B200 King Air had exceeded its maximum, although it did not contribute to the accident.
