The question's being asked as to why commercial buildings can be built so close to airports - after Victoria's worst crash in three decades.

Five people died in Melbourne yesterday when their small aircraft crashed into Essendon's DFO shopping centre shortly after take off.

Australian correspondent Murray Olds told Mike Hosking if it had happened on a Saturday and crashed further into the centre - more lives would've been lost.

"Federal governments own the land that airports are built on. Local government controls development on the outside."

Catastrophic engine failure's being blamed.