Workers at a Melbourne shopping centre will gather to pay tribute to five men killed in a light plane crash at the complex one year after the fiery tragedy.
Pliot Max Quartermain was flying American tourists Greg Reynolds De Haven, Glenn Garland, Russell Munsch and John Washburn to King Island to play golf when their dual-engine aircraft crashed into DFO Essendon and exploded into a fireball on February 21, 2017.
It was Victoria's worst air disaster in 30 years.
At the time of the accident, staff were preparing to open stores and while no one on the ground was injured, many suffered shock.
"We know it can be an emotional day for some of our customers, our retailers and the wider DFO community as we pause and acknowledge the tragic accident that occurred a year ago," a spokeswoman for centre owners Vicinity Centres told AAP.
A permanent memorial remains outside Essendon Homemaker Centre to commemorate the five victims - a Japenese maple tree, which was Mr Quatermain's favourite, and a Christmas bush shaped like a Texan 5-point star to represent the tourists' home state.
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined and the Australian Transport Saftey Bureau's report, initially due in March, is unlikely to be released until June.
A separate probe has been launched by the ATSB to look at construction within Essendon Airport's 'buffer zone'.
The DFO shopping centre, part of the Bulla Rd Precinct Retail Outlet Centre development, is on land owned by Essendon Airport.
Australian Associated Press
