A small passenger aircraft broke into flames just a few seconds after Southend took off from London Airport on Sunday afternoon. The Super King Beech B200 Super King, heading to Lelystad in the Netherlands, crashed at 4 pm while climbing and formed a massive fireball seen on miles away.
Eye witness John Johnson described a terrible moment: “He chose to the left, turned upside down and broke his head into the ground. A huge fireball followed”. Emergency crews were plunged at Essex airport, immediately closed it and evacuated golf and rugby clubs as a preventive measure.
The aircraft, operated by Dutch medical transport Zeusch Aviation, carried out two earlier years that day.
Massive reactions to emergency situations unfold
Dozens of the first respondents fought with blazing debris, including four firefighting crews, off -road vehicles and four teams of dangerous reactions. Medical support included four ambulances, rescue cars and an air clinic, although no survivors were found.
The Essex police called it a “serious incident” and warned the public to avoid this area. Data Flightradar showed that the aircraft reached only 175 feet before it came across the track.
The closure of the airport canceled all flights, including four EasyJet routes, and moved others to Gatwick and Stansted. Passengers on the platform on the next plane saw a fire ball only 300 meters away.
Shocked witnesses and community grief
Families at the airport watched horror how pilots who waved back to children earlier, threw themselves to death. James Philpott’s bartender felt a “thermal wave” before he saw a fire ball, “People ran to help him”.
Southend West Deputy David Burton-Sampon urged people to avoid this area, adding, “My thoughts are with all involved”.
The 12 -meter aircraft could carry 9 passengers plus the crew, although the exact number on board remains unconfirmed. This means the second break beechcraft in Southynd; Another took place in 1987.
The investigation begins because the airport remains closed
Authorities will spend days exploring the accident site to find out why a double turboprop failed. Experts will study eyewitness accounts and flight data that show a sudden turn left before the impact.
The aircraft flew from Croatia earlier Sunday and once served as a medical evacuation level. EasyJet offered a return and hotels to the stuck passengers, while the time -time re -opening of the airport is unknown. The Branch for Investigations of Air accidents in the UK took over the probe.
(Tagstotranslate) crash at southern airport
