Summary
At approximately 1853:30 hours EST on 10 July, 1978, Partenavia P68B aircraft
registered VH-PNW, with a crew of two and one passenger aboard, became airborne
from Runway 26 at Essendon Airport, Victoria, and climbed to a height of 200 to 250 feet.
Co-incident with the raising of the wing flaps from the take-off position and a simulated
failure of one engine, the aircraft assumed a nosedown attitude and continued straight
ahead on a descending flight path.
The aircraft crashed into houses 286 metres beyond the western end of the runway. Six
persons on the ground were killed, and one person received minor injuries. The aircraft
was destroyed and the three occupants were seriously injured.
