A plane controlled by a trainee pilot was carrying a sole passenger with an expired aviation medical certificate when it crashed in Stawell in early October, seriously injuring both.
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The aircraft was seen to perform a number of manoeuvres before it entered a spin and crashed during a navigation exercise near Stawell on October 5.
The plane was destroyed and the pilot and passenger were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
The pilot had flown from Moorabbin Airport as part of commercial training requirements, before the aircraft started spinning, a preliminary report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said on Wednesday.
The pilot was unable to regain control before crashing into farm land, almost two kilometres from Stawell Airport.
A witness at the aerodrome raised the alarm, while two others at the aerodrome used an aircraft to find the accident site and guided emergency crews there.
While the passenger held a recreational pilot licence, his aviation medical certificate had expired, the investigation found.
No pre-impact defects were identified with the flight controls or aircraft structure.
The investigation will include interviews with the pilot, passenger, an examination of the pilot's experience, aircraft performance, maintenance records and training procedures.
