Published on
At least four people have been killed when a small plane crashed shortly after take-off at London Southend Airport on Sunday.
The plane operated by Zeusch Aviation in the Netherlands had flown from the Greek capital Athens before heading to Southend.
It was due to return to Lelystad in the Netherlands on Sunday evening.
Zeusch Aviation confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been involved in an accident and said the company was supporting the investigation.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected,” the statement said.
UK media said the crash involved a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, a 12-metre-long turboprop aircraft equipped with medical systems for transporting patients.
London Southend is a relatively small airport, around 72 kilometres east of London.
All flights to and from the airport have been cancelled until further notice, the airport stated in social media posts.
Images circulated on social media showed a plume of fire and black smoke emanating from the crash site.
Witness John Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, said he saw a “big fireball” after the plane “crashed head first into the ground”.
“It took off and about three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head-first into the ground,” he said.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
Additional sources • AP
