All flights grounded after five deaths
<p dir="ltr">A chartered helicopter company has grounded all flights after five people died on a trip. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The pilot and four passengers on board a helicopter owned by Microflite were declared dead after the flight crashed near Mt Disappointment, north of Melbourne's CBD.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Police Air Wing located the wreckage about 11.45 on Thursday and began their investigations with aviation experts into what caused the plane to crash. </p>
<p dir="ltr">On board was a 32-year-old man who was the pilot, a 50-year-old woman, 59-year-old man, 70-year-old man, and a 73-year-old man. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Microflite announced in a statement that their flights would resume on Tuesday as investigations continue.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“A private charter flown by one of our crews crashed at Mount Disappointment, tragically killing all four passengers and one of our highly respected pilots onboard,” the statement began.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The Microflite family have been deeply shocked and devastated by this tragic incident, and we have decided to suspend all charter services until at least Tuesday 5 April 2022, at this stage.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“If you have a flight with us during this time, we will reach out to you in the coming days regarding your booking.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We understand you will have questions regarding this incident, and will be in touch with further information in due course.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Thank you in advance for your patience and support during this challenging time.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will determine the cause of the crash.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>
