What happened
A flight transporting patients back to their home region following medical care in Melbourne experienced a critical incident during the initial climb. After departing the runway, the aircraft type ceased its ascent at an altitude of approximately 100 feet. The pilot notified Air Traffic Control that the left engine had failed and indicated intentions to feather the propeller before returning for an emergency landing.
During the maneuver, the aircraft drifted toward a large group of power lines situated between 40 and 90 feet above the ground. As the aircraft approached these wires, it appeared to be flying below the upper cables. The aircraft then experienced a sudden leftward veer and struck the terrain in a steep, nose-down position. The impact triggered a fire that consumed much of the wreckage. The flight's final movements were consistent with a twin-engine aircraft experiencing significant power asymmetry due to a reduction in power from one engine combined with insufficient airspeed.
Findings
While heavy fire damage limited the investigation, technical inspections of the airframe and engines showed no evidence of mechanical defects or system malfunctions. Although the pilot reported that the left propeller was being feathered, investigators determined it had not reached a feathered state at the time of impact; it remains unclear if the process was delayed or never initiated.
The investigation concluded that insufficient airspeed likely caused the loss of directional control while the pilot attempted to navigate around the power lines. The aircraft lacked the necessary altitude to recover once the airspeed dropped below the minimum required for stable flight. Investigators could not determine why a controlled forced landing in an open area was not attempted prior to reaching the power line array.