Latest news with #BeechcraftKingAirB200
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Four dead in Southend plane crash
Four people have died in a plane crash at London's Southend airport. The crash on Sunday afternoon reportedly involved a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air B200. Online flight tracking data suggest an aircraft fitting that description was due to fly to Lelystad, in the Netherlands, in the afternoon. Images posted on social media showed a plume of fire and black smoke coming up 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 Southend airport. The statement said the company was 'actively supporting the authorities with the investigation', adding: 'Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.' A witness who watched the aircraft take off said he 'waved at the pilots' in the moments before the disaster. John Johnson, who was at Southend Airport with his family at the time of the crash, said he saw a 'big fireball' after the plane 'crashed head first into the ground'. Mr Johnson, from Billericay, 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 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 added: 'There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it. All the kids saw it and the families saw it. I phoned 999, reported it.' Online flight tracking information suggested that it reached a maximum height of 175ft above Southend's fifth runway, facing to the north-east, before crashing. Data broadcast by the aeroplane's automatic onboard systems suggested that it drifted to the left before hitting the ground. An Air Accidents Investigation Branch spokesman 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.
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First Post
2 days ago
- First Post
How small plane crashed at London Southend Airport seconds after takeoff
A Beechcraft King Air B200 aircraft crashed at London Southend Airport shortly after takeoff on Sunday, just before 8.30 pm IST. Witnesses reported the 12-metre plane turned into a 'huge fireball', with visuals showing black smoke billowing from the site. The plane reportedly inverted mid-air before coming down read more A plume of black smoke rises from an area near the runway after a small plane crash, as seen from inside a building at London Southend Airport, in Southend, Britain, July 13, 2025, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. @agussromagnoli via X/via Reuters A small plane crashed at London Southend Airport on Sunday (July 13) shortly after take-off. Visuals showed black smoke billowing from the Beechcraft King Air B200 aircraft after the mishap. London Southend Airport confirmed a 'serious incident' involving a general aviation aircraft. Witnesses have reported seeing a 'huge fireball' emerging from the crash site. Let's take a closer look. What happened? A 12-metre plane with two pilots onboard crashed at London Southend Airport. Emergency services, including the police, fire service and ambulance service, rushed to the site. Essex Police said they were 'alerted' about 'reports of a collision' involving the small Beech B200 aircraft at the site in Southend-on-Sea shortly before 8.30 pm IST. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We are working with all emergency services at the scene now, and that work will be ongoing for several hours. We would like to ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues,' it said in a statement. As per the flight-tracking service Flightradar, the aircraft took off from Southend Airport at 8:18 pm IST and was headed to Lelystad, a city in the Netherlands. Earlier on Sunday, the plane flew from Athens to the Pula airport in Croatia, before making the three-hour flight to London Southend, reported Independent. After the crash, London Southend Airport closed operations until further notice. It said it will inform the public of any updates and those set to travel on Monday should contact their airline. As per the airport's website, five international flights had been cancelled after the accident. Dutch company Zeusch Aviation confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been 'involved in an accident' at London Southend Airport. The company said they were 'actively' supporting authorities with the investigation, adding: 'Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.' Besides the two pilots, it remains unclear how many people were on the plane. The cause of the crash is also not known yet. David Burton-Sampson, MP for Southend West & Leigh, wrote on X: 'I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD United Kingdom Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'I'm aware of the tragic incident at Southend Airport this afternoon. My thoughts are with all those involved. 'The emergency services are on scene and are advising the public to avoid the area where possible. I am monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates.' I'm aware of the tragic incident at Southend Airport this afternoon. My thoughts are with all those involved. The emergency services are on scene and are advising the public to avoid the area where possible. I am monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates. — Heidi Alexander MP (@Heidi_Labour) July 13, 2025 Witnesses describe London plane crash Witnesses told British media that the plane crashed 'head first into the ground'. John Johnson, who was watching planes with his wife and children at the airport, told BBC he saw a 'huge fireball'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'You could see [the pilots] smiling and we all kind of smiled back, the aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take off point, powered up its engines and powered past us, carrying on down the runway,' he said. 'It took off in probably three or four seconds. It started to bank heavily to its left. I said to my wife, that's unusual. We don't find aircraft normally turning at that stage in their ascent. 'Within a few seconds of that, the aircraft almost inverted and hit the ground. There was a huge fireball.' According to Johnson, the airport's fire service responded immediately after the crash, with two fire engines reaching the spot. They were followed by local police, ambulance and fire services. Speaking to Metro, a woman said she was watching planes departing with her daughter from a viewing deck at the Holiday Inn on Sunday. 'It was honestly a surreal experience. The plane took off, then around 50 meters it sort of kicked to the left, then around 100 meters it abruptly banked to the left. With that, it basically descended down headfirst and just burst into flames as it hit the ground. We can't believe what we have seen. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It didn't look like there was time to bail out. Luckily, I think my daughter is too young to know what really happened. I feel for the other kids who were there and witnessed it too. It felt like we were in a bad dream.' James Philpott, a bartender at the golf club next to the airport, told BBC that he felt 'a big heatwave' before looking up to a 'massive fireball' in the sky. 'Everyone was just quite shocked… we haven't seen anything like this. People were sort of running towards it to see if anyone was injured.' ALSO READ: Is flying risky business? What we know about the crashed plane The plane involved in the crash at Southend Airport was reportedly a Beech B200 Super King Air, a US-built aircraft with a jet turbine, according to flight tracking data. It is a small plane capable of carrying more than 20 people for short-haul charter flights. The aircraft was a medical transport jet equipped with medical systems for transporting patients, reported The Mirror. However, as per the Independent report, the ill-fated plane was a luxury private aeroplane with eight seats and a comfortable leather interior. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to BBC correspondent Tom Symonds: 'This sort of aircraft is a bit like a Land Rover of the skies. It's a bit like an all-purpose vehicle and we can see that it has been rented out for roles including medical evacuation, moving transplant material, aerial mapping, that sort of thing.' Zeusch Aviation, which operated the plane, specialises in medical evacuation services and transplant flights as well as private charters. Meanwhile, Essex Police said it was working with the Air Accident Investigation Branch. Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin said: 'In these very early stages it is vital we gather the information we need, and continue supporting the people of Essex.' With inputs from agencies
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Southend Airport crash plane was on medical mission new report reveals
Multiple emergency services are at the scene, with two nearby sports clubs closed as a precaution as the cause of the crash is not yet known The aircraft that met with a tragic accident shortly after departing from Southend Airport this afternoon has been identified as a medical transport jet. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a "huge fireball" and thick black smoke following the crash which occurred around 4pm. The emergency response was swift, with police, fire brigade, and ambulance services descending on the scene, while two local sports clubs were shut down as a safety measure. It has since been revealed that the downed plane was a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air B200, en route from Southern to Lelystad in the Netherlands, home to its operator Zeusch Aviation. Earlier today, the same aircraft had completed a flight from Pula in Croatia to Southend. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Zeusch Aviation, the Dutch firm operating the plane, is known for its medical systems onboard for patient transportation. The company provides medical evacuation and organ transplant flights, alongside private charter services. At present, it remains uncertain whether the ill-fated flight was conducting a medical evacuation or if there was a patient on board at the time of the incident. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined, reports the Mirror. David Burton-Sampson, MP for Southend West and Leigh, commented on the situation saying: "I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved." Essex Police released a statement noting: "We remain on the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport. We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane. "We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours. We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues." Essex County Fire and Rescue Service have reported: "We were called to an incident involving a light aircraft at Southend Airport today at 3.58pm. Crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two), along with off road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended. "We are continuing to work at the scene with our emergency services and aviation partners. Please avoid the area if possible while this work continues." The East of England Ambulance Service dispatched numerous emergency units to the site, as confirmed in their statement: "Four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance have been sent to Southend Airport responding to reports of an incident involving an airplane."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Plane in 'fireball' crash was medical transport jet completing vital mission
The plane that crashed was a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air B200. It was travelling from Southern to Lelystad in the Netherlands after arriving in the UK from Croatia this morning The plane that crashed shortly after take-off at Southend Airport this afternoon was a medical transport jet, it has emerged. Witnesses said they saw a "huge fireball" and black smoke after the incident at around 4pm. Emergency services including the police, fire service and ambulance service rushed to the scene - and two nearby sports clubs were closed as a precaution. It has now emerged that the plane that crashed was a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air B200. It was travelling from Southern to Lelystad in the Netherlands, where its operator Seusch Aviation is based. Earlier this morning, the aircraft had flown from Pula in Croatia to Southend. The aircraft, operated by Zeusch Aviation, was equipped with medical systems for transporting patients. The Dutch company specialises in medical evacuation services and transplant flights. It also runs private charters. It's not clear whether the flight being operated was a medical evacuation - or whether any patient was onboard at the time of the crash. The cause of the crash is not known yet. David Burton-Sampson, MP for Southend West & Leigh, said on X: "I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved." Essex Police said in a statement: "We remain on the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport. We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane. "We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours. We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues." Essex County Fire and Rescue Service added: "We were called to an incident involving a light aircraft at Southend Airport today at 3.58pm. Crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two), along with off road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended. "We are continuing to work at the scene with our emergency services and aviation partners. Please avoid the area if possible while this work continues." East of England Ambulance Service said several emergency vehicles rushed to the scene. They said in a statement: "Four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance have been sent to Southend Airport responding to reports of an incident involving an airplane."
