Witnesses said in the moments before the crash they saw the pilots of the private medical aircraft waving to children as they prepared to leave the Essex airport
All four people on a plane that erupted into a fireball just moments after taking off from London Southend Airport have died, with questions remaining about how the disaster could have happened.
Flight SUZ1 crashed near the Essex airport’s runway on Sunday afternoon, leading officials to shut down all incoming and outgoing travel. UK officials today revealed all four passengers on board the flight were foreign nationals.
Shortly after take-off, the plane rolled to the left, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into a grassy area close to the runway. The Beech B200 aircraft was bound for a return flight to Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands when it burst into flames.
READ MORE: Southend Airport plane crash UPDATES: Four people dead after aircraft exploded
In the moments before the crash, the pilots were seen waving to children, according to a witness. John Johnson, from Billericay, added that adults and kids alike had been waving to the pilots just minutes before the crash. He said: “We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us.”
This is everything we know about the Southend Airport disaster.
Moments before disaster
Maps from the live tracking service Flightradar24 showed the aircraft briefly taxiing down the runway before taking off and heading in the direction of Rochford. But the route tracking ends with the plane having spent just a few minutes in motion.
The aircraft crashed around 4pm with all four people onboard dying in the incident.
Who were the victims?
All four people who were on board the plane were foreign nationals, according to UK officials. A nurse aboard the private medical jet has been named as German national Maria Fernanda Rojas Ortiz.
The 31-year-old was born in Chile and had married her partner last year. A friend told The Mirror: “They were married last year. It was her first day on the job. She was a hospital nurse but then took a job with a private medical firm, she didn’t tell anyone but this was her first day in the job. The firm that owns the plane says there were no survivors.”
The pilot and co-pilot were confirmed to have been Dutch nationals while another passenger was said to be a European national. Their identities have not been made public as of publishing.
Investigation launched
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has confirmed it is investigating the crash. Aviation experts say the sharp roll to the left after take-off could indicate a loss of power in one engine, though the aircraft is designed to fly on a single engine.
Lisa Fitzsimons (AAIB) said it was “too early to speculate” on what might have caused the plane crash. She added: “Our focus is on gathering the physical evidence from the accident site and interviewing witnesses.
“The remains of the aircraft will then be recovered to our facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, for further detailed investigation.”
When will airport reopen?
London Southend Airport will remain closed until further notice as the investigation continues. The airport’s chief executive Jude Winstanley said at a press conference today: “On behalf of everyone at London Southend Airport, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those lost in yesterday’s tragic incident.
“We would also like to thank our local community for their messages of support and understanding at this difficult time. Our staff are working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators to support their work. I would like to thank them for all of their hard work during this period.
“We are in constant dialog with our operating airlines, and as I’m sure everyone will understand, the airport will remain closed until further notice. Passengers should contact their airline for information and advice.”
Flights have been redirected to London Gatwick and Luton.