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08 Sept 2025
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08 Sept 2025
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Four people onboard a plane that crashed shortly after taking off from London Southend Airport on Sunday died, the PA news agency understands.
The crash, which happened at around 3.48pm, involved “one 12-metre plane”, Essex Police said.
Images posted on social media showed a plume of fire and black smoke coming from the crash site, while witnesses described seeing a “fireball”.
Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been “involved in an accident” at the airport.
The statement said the company was “actively supporting the authorities with the investigation”, adding: “Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.”
Zeusch Aviation’s website says the plane – a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air – can be used for medical flights to transport patients or organs.
It has also been deployed for aerial mapping flights.
The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad on Sunday night.
Southend Airport said its “thoughts are with those affected” by the crash.
John Johnson, who was at the airport with his children and wife on Sunday, said they saw a “big fireball” after the plane crashed “head first into the ground”.
Mr Johnson, from Billericay, told PA that before the plane took off, “we all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us”.
He added: “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.
“There was a big fireball.
“I’d say that we’re pretty shaken up. I just feel sad for the people who were on the plane and, of course, their loved ones and their family, our thoughts are with them.”
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch spokeswoman said it has started an investigation into what happened, and a “multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, human factors, engineering and recorded data” arrived at the crash site on Sunday.
The airport has been closed since the crash.
There were scheduled to be 20 easyJet flights and two Eastern Airways flights departing from or arriving at the airport on Monday.
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