A small aircraft crashed shortly after departing from London Southend Airport on Sunday. The airport has been closed until further notice. Authorities have not yet verified whether there were any injuries or fatalities.
A video circulated on social media depicts thick black smoke billowing from the crash site. The entire plane was obscured by the smoke, and no other components were visible following the incident.
The aircraft was operated by Zeusch Aviation, a company headquartered in the Netherlands. Earlier on Sunday, it had flown from Athens, Greece, to Pula, Croatia, and subsequently to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad in the Netherlands that evening.
Zeusch Aviation confirmed that its flight SUZ1 was involved in the accident. The company stated that it is cooperating with the investigation and added, “Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.”
Reports indicate that the aircraft was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, a 12-meter-long turboprop plane equipped with medical apparatus for patient transport.
Southend Airport, situated approximately 72 kilometers east of London, has cancelled all flights while police, emergency services, and air accident investigators assess the crash site.
A witness named John Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, reported seeing a “large fireball” after the plane struck the ground.
“It took off and about three or four seconds later, it began to turn sharply to the left. Then it flipped and crashed nose-first into the ground,” he recounted.
Johnson also noted that prior to takeoff, he and his family waved at the pilots, who waved back.
Essex Police stated that they were notified of a “serious incident” just before 4 PM on Sunday.
