As Authorities probe the cause of Tuesday’s fatal air crash at the DFO shopping complex near Melbourne’s Essendon Airport, details have emerged that the same charter operator has been under investigation for another incident.

Pilot Max Quartermain and four American tourists were killed when their Beechcraft B200 Super King Air experienced engine failure soon after take-off from Essendon Airport.

The plane, which was headed for King Island off Tasmania’s north coast, crashed into the DFO shopping centre and exploded into flames.

The ABC understands Mr Quartermain was under investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) after his plane, with a call signal VH-OWN, came within 100 metres of another aircraft in bad weather at Mt Hotham in September 2015.

On Tuesday, ATSB Chief Commissioner, Mr Greg Hood told a media conference a team of four investigators were at the crash site and planned to release a preliminary factual report of its findings into the crash within 28 days.

“We’re very much in the gathering of evidence phase,”Chief Commissioner Hood said.

“From the gathering of evidence phase we’re likely to be on site for the next few days before we move into a forensic examination of the information that we gather.”

Chief Commissioner Hood said the ATSB said investigators would examine all “possible causal factors” in the crash including maintenance records, the history of the aeroplane, the history of the pilot and previous accidents involving the Beechcraft Super King.

Pilot Max Quartermain had decades of flying experience.

An investigation summary of the 2015 incident reported the plane had “tracking difficulties” on approach to Mt Hotham during a charter flight as low cloud had made conditions difficult.

The summary reads: “VH-OWN was then observed to carry out significant manoeuvring while on short final to the runway before landing.”

The final report was due to be released last year, but has been delayed several times. A final report is due in May.

Although Mr Quartermain was not named in the ATSB report, the ABC understands he was ordered to re-do his instrument rating qualifications after the Hotham incident.

“Following the incident at Mount Hotham, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority required the pilot to undergo some additional proficiency checks. They were done, the pilot passed those checks,” a CASA spokesman said.

“And in subsequent checks done prior to yesterday’s flight … the pilot has passed all of those.”

Chief Commissioner Hood declined to comment on the investigation of the 2015 near-miss, describing the ATSB as “Australia’s no-blame transport safety investigator”.

“I’m not specifically aware of the pilot’s previous history, but that will obviously come out in this investigation,” he said.

Aviation journalist Geoffrey Thomas told reporters crash should have been avoidable if reports of engine failure prove true.

It appears as though it lost its left engine and it pulled then to the left. Now, typically, this aircraft should have sustained flight,” Mr Thomas said.

Pilot’s record

Police closed off the freeway beside the crash.

Mr Quartermain was the co-owner of Corporate and Leisure Aviation, which operated the plane.

The company’s website said he had more than 38 years of charter experience and “an impeccable safety record”.

At least three friends of Mr Quartermain contacted the ABC yesterday and described him as being a highly respected and trusted pilot.

CASA records showed the plane which crashed at Essendon yesterday, with the call sign VH-ZCR, was registered with Australian Corporate Jet Centres at Essendon.

When contacted last night, the ABC was referred to the company’s chief executive, Vas Nikolovski, who did not return calls.

Airport concerns

The crash occurred in very proximity to the runway. Photo: AAP

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said people should “not lose perspective” on the safety of Essendon Airport following yesterday’s crash, but changes will be made if they are needed.

His comments come after Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association executive director Benjamin Morgan said planning rules which had allowed large buildings close to airport runways meant pilots no longer had space in the case of emergencies.

“Distinctly separate from the investigation that will take place now, I do see an issue in the location of DFO,” Mr Morgan told ABC Radio Melbourne.

“The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association over the last two decades has been advocating quite strongly to the government and various stakeholders that there has been far too much commercial and industrial development that is simply incompatible with aviation.

“I think that what we’re looking at here is not isolated to Essendon, it is replicated at many airports around the country and it has come as the result of airport privatisation and it’s a very sad outcome.”

Five people were killed after the crash at DFO in Essendon. Photo: AAP

Mr Andrews told ABC radio he did not anticipate a permanent closure of Essendon Airport.

“There are some people who have wanted Essendon Airport to close for a very long time, and I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said.

Police said it would be several more days before air safety investigators finished examining the scene after the crash.

Essendon Airport and the shopping centre will be closed while investigations continue.