Four people have died after a plane crashed at London Southend Airport on Sunday afternoon, with the final moments of those onboard revealed before the crash happened just seconds after take off
Four people died after a light aircraft crashed in a “fireball” at London Southend Airport on Sunday afternoon, prompting an investigation into the cause of the accident.
Essex Police confirmed emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 16:00 BST after reports of a 12-metre plane on fire in the north of Southend-on-Sea. The aircraft, a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air operated by Dutch company Zeusch Aviation, had flown from Athens to Pula in Croatia earlier in the day before heading to Southend.
It was scheduled to return to Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands on Sunday evening. It’s reported that two pilots and two passengers were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash. All four were killed.
READ MORE: Doomed Southend flight’s final route shows moment plane crashed in ‘fireball’
The crash happened in a matter of minutes. The plane taxied to the end of the runway at 15:56. At 15:57, the plane took off from runway 5.
Shortly after, The Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives reports that the plane rolled to the left, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into a grassy area near the runway, where it burst into flames.
The pilots of the Beech B200 Super King Air were spotted waving to children from the plane before the crash, 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.
“The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take-off, departure, powered up, rolled down the runway. It took off and about three or four seconds after it 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.”
Helicopter footage taken after the crash showed wreckage scattered across the site and significant fire damage.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Southend, Rayleigh Weir and Basildon attended the incident, supported by off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford.
The East of England Ambulance Service deployed four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four hazardous area response team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch 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 type is designed to fly on a single engine.
Southend Airport remains closed until further notice. A total of 22 flights scheduled for Monday have been affected, with easyJet rerouting most services to Gatwick and Luton.
A spokesperson from easyJet said this morning: “As London Southend airport remains closed today, three return flights this morning were cancelled in advance and we are operating the remainder of today’s flying programme via alternative London airports.
“We are doing all we can to help customers rearrange their plans and have contacted them directly with options to rebook or receive a refund. We continue to work closely with the airport to understand when operations are able to resume.”
READ MORE: Expert shares best footwear for keeping your feet comfortable at festivals this summer