Small plane crashes at London Southend Airport
No details on where the plane was heading or how many people were on board were immediately disclosed.
In a statement on social media, the airport confirmed a 'serious incident' involving what it termed a general aviation aircraft.
It later said that all flights to and from the airport have been cancelled until further notice, while police, emergency services and air investigators assess the incident.
British media said it was a medical transport jet equipped with medical systems for transporting patients, specifically a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air heading to the Netherlands.
Soon after the crash, images circulated on social media showing a plume of fire and black smoke emanating from the crash site. The plane involved is said to be 12 meters (39 feet) long.
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. 'There was a big fireball.'
Johnson said that before the plane got into position for take-off, he and his family waved at the pilots and 'they all waved back at us.'
After the crash, Johnson said the airport's fire service responded straight away, with two fire engines sent to the crash site, followed by local police, ambulance and fire services.
Essex Police said it was alerted just before 4 p.m. local time to the 'serious incident' at the relatively small airport, which is around 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of the capital.
'We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours,' Essex Police said.
The local member of Parliament, David Burton-Sampson, urged people to stay away and let the emergency services do their work.
'My thoughts are with everyone involved,' he said.
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It flew from Athens to Pula airport on Sunday morning, departing the Croatian resort town for Southend at lunchtime, a flight of about three hours. On Saturday the Beech B200 had departed its home base of Lelystad in the Netherlands for Memmingen in southern Germany, before flying to the Greek capital that evening. A commercial charter website's entry for PH-ZAZ suggested it was configured as a luxury private aeroplane with up to 12 seats and a comfortable leather interior. The Beechcraft King Air B200 has two turboprop engines, meaning a jet turbine that spins a propeller, and is capable of carrying around a dozen people. The US-made planes are widely used as short-haul charter airliners and for carrying light freight. The plane also carries out medical evacuation flights. Zeusch Aviation, owners of the Beech, listed the aircraft as available for 'Medevac [medical evacuation]/ Repatriation / Transplant flights Service' on their own social media profile. 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Aideen Cowling, a mother-of-two, had just got out of her car at the airport when she looked up to see a massive fireball emerging from the wreckage. The 40-year-old was about to catch a flight for a 10-day summer holiday in Mallorca with her children, aged six and three, and husband, Blair, 44. She said: 'I just saw this massive fireball. By the time I said: Blair, look at that, there was no fireball. He only saw the black smoke.' Mr Cowling said a pair of workers in hi-vis clothing explained that sometimes the fire brigade do an exercise, 'so it's probably just them training. Don't worry and get your flight'. He added: 'But then a couple just in front of us said: I don't think it is. I think a plane has just crashed.' The couple, from Bexleyheath, Essex, added that they were the last in line to check their luggage before being told that the flight had been cancelled. Adrian Gaudin, 26, said he had fastened his seat belt on his flight back to Paris, France, when he saw the thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage. The receptionist had been staying in north London with friends to attend last weekend's Wireless musical festival in Finsbury Park. He told The Telegraph: 'We were already on the flight and they told us to get off. I saw a huge cloud on the runway. 'It's so bad, but I was just like: get me home. I didn't think they would cancel everything.' John Dansie was set to fly to Mallorca with his wife for a wedding anniversary but has been stranded after his flight to Palma was cancelled. The 54-year-old has had an alternative flight booked from Luton on Monday morning and had a hotel room booked near the airport for Sunday evening. He said: 'It's just devastating. The staff are being very helpful.' Some flights set to land at the airport have been diverted to Gatwick airport, The Telegraph understands. Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, confirmed one of its aircraft was involved in the crash. A statement from the firm said: 'We can confirm that Zeusch Aviation flight SUZ1 was involved in an accident today at London Southend Airport. 'We are actively supporting the authorities with the investigation and will provide updates on this page as more information becomes available. 'Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.'
