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BBC News
20-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Lantern find may explain Southend 17th Century ship explosion
The remains of a scorched wooden lantern base retrieved from a 17th Century warship wreck may help explain what caused its explosion. The London blew up 360 years ago off the Essex coast near Southend-on-Sea and an astonishing array of well-preserved finds have been retrieved from it in recent resumed this month thanks to two companies that donated most of the £13,000 needed to replace the dive ship's condemned engine. The lantern base, candles and a wooden tool handle were among objects recovered since then, said Steve Ellis, one of Historic England's licensed divers. "Last year we found a wooden lantern top and while on our latest dive, we retrieved the base of a different wooden lantern and both have scorch marks," he said."They wouldn't have had glass, just wooden battens and, with the flame not being that secure and on a ship full of gunpowder, is this one of the reasons she blew up?"That's what I love about diving the wreck, the more you find, the more questions you ask - it's never boring." The warship is one of England's most important shipwrecks and is a Protected Wreck is being rapidly eroded because of its location at the end of the hugely busy Thames Estuary shipping also means seabed sediment is constantly being churned up, resulting in terrible visibility, "like diving in blancmange", Mr Ellis said."I came across some beef tallow or other animal fat candles, packed in threes, which felt like modern plastic," he exceptional find was a wooden handle. All the items will go to Historic England for conservation. The London was on its way to fight in the second Anglo-Dutch War in 1665, when it exploded while moored at The Nore in the Thames women and children, families of the sailors, were on board and the disaster was written about by diarist Samuel Ellis said the area the dive team was currently working on was "a bit more like the Mary Rose [a Tudor wreck], a brilliant time capsule, with complete boxes, complete bottles - everything seems to be in order". "Every dive brings us closer to understanding the lives, struggles, and stories of people of that era, before this information is washed away and lost forever," he added. The project was put at risk when the dive team's boat engine was condemned a few months Ellis said the dive team was "profoundly grateful" to DP World and Dive Master Insurance, which contributed £6,000 each towards a new engine, alongside £1,000 in public donations. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Southend airport to remain closed after fireball plane crash
London Southend Airport will remain closed until further notice after a plane crashed in what witnesses described as a "fireball". Essex Police said it was alerted to a 12-metre plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday. On its website, the airport said all Monday's flights - departures and arrivals - have been "rerouted". It urged passengers to check with their airline for advice. There has been no confirmation on the number of casualties. Dutch company Zeusch Aviation confirmed that its SUZ1 flight had been "involved in an accident" at London Southend Airport. Based out of Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands, the company said they were actively supporting authorities with the investigation, and that their thoughts were with "everyone who has been affected". The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend, with a planned return to Lelystad Airport that evening. John Johnson, 40, from Billericay, Essex, was watching planes with his wife and children when he saw a "huge fireball" after the plane crashed "head first into the ground". Mr Johnson was at the airport with his wife and children to watch aircraft activity as he said his sons "are really into planes". "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 told the BBC. "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." He called 999 to report the incident. James Philpott, a bartender at the Rochford Hundred Golf Club, had been in a hut in the middle of the course when he felt "a big heatwave". "I looked up and there was a massive fireball, basically," he told the BBC. "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." People were evacuated from the course due to its close proximity with the crash, but Mr Philpott said some people remained in the clubhouse as it was further away. The chairman of Westcliff Rugby Club, which is near Southend Airport, said people at the club did not have to evacuate following the plane crash. Pete Jones said: "That didn't happen in the end [police] changed their mind. "We've got a big event there, 250 people, and they just said no, you don't have to evacuate." Mr Jones said the aircraft went down about 1,000m from the clubhouse and that people there could see smoke in the aftermath. Essex Police said it was working with the Air Accident Investigation Branch. Ch Supt Morgan Cronin said: "In these very early stages it is vital we gather the information we need, and continue supporting the people of Essex." The force asked people to keep its emergency lines open by using its dedicated major incident portal when contacting them about the incident. The transport secretary said her "thoughts are with all those involved" in the Southend Airport crash and that she was receiving "regular updates". In a post on X, Heidi Alexander said: "I'm aware of the tragic incident at Southend Airport this afternoon. "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." Earlier in the evening the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh and the Southend City Council's cabinet member for business, culture, music and tourism, said they had been made aware of the incident. David Burton-Sampson and Matt Dent posted on X that their thoughts were with those involved and with the emergency services responding to the incident. Bayo Alaba, the Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford, told BBC Essex: "It really shook me. "My heart and thoughts go out to the families involved." Flight tracking information shows the plane was a Beech B200 Super King Air. BBC correspondent Tom Symonds said: "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." He said the "profile of this crash", with witnesses describing the plane veering to the left suggested "loss of power in the left engine". The records of this type of aircraft showed "similar crashes over the last 10 years or so". "One in particular, in Australia, there was a warning after that crash that the throttle levers - that control the power to the two engines - could slip back, reducing the power," he said. "One former aviation accident investigator that I've spoken to said that is an area that might be investigated - but these planes can fly with one engine." London Southend Airport Essex Police Essex County Fire and Rescue Service East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Southend Airport plane crash witness says jet 'corkscrewed upside down' before exploding on impact - as airport remains shut and flights cancelled
A small plane that crashed at London Southend Airport 'corkscrewed upside down' before dramatically exploding into a fireball on impact, a witness has claimed. The international airport, near Southend-on-Sea, has been forced to cancel all flights and close 'until further notice' after Zeusch Aviation Flight SUZ1 crashed after take-off just before 4pm on Sunday. Essex Police said they were alerted to 'reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane' at the airport, calling it a 'serious incident', although there has been no confirmation of the number of casualties. Footage on social media shows a plume of fire and black smoke billowing into the air from the crash site, while witnesses described seeing the Beech B200 Super King Air erupt into a 'fireball'. Ben Guppy, 34, who had taken his 15-month-old daughter to the fifth floor of a nearby Holiday Inn hotel to watch the planes take off and land, told MailOnline he saw the plane reach 'probably 50 metres off the runway' before it began tilting left. Describing the moment of impact, the wholesale director explained: 'My daughter was pointing at it and then it lifted to the left. The left wing came down, the ring wing came up. I thought "He's keen to go left as soon as he takes off." 'He's banking hard left and then the next thing you know, it's like another handbrake turn. He went left so violently and I thought "What is he doing?" He was only about 100 metres up by this point. 'And then he corkscrewed upside down into the floor, the plane was only in the air for seconds. I looked at it and the fireball went up, there was fire and smoke everywhere. Luckily my daughter was facing the other way.' A plane corkscrewing refers to the moment an aircraft rapidly spirals to towards the ground. The frantic moment a group of golfers, playing at the nearby Rochford Hundred Golf Club, rushed to the burning wreckage was also caught on camera. 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.' Zeusch Aviation's website says the plane can be used for medical flights to transport patients or organs. It has also been deployed for aerial mapping flights. The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad on Sunday night. The airport announced on Sunday night it was closed until further notice, with all arriving and departing flights cancelled. It will remain closed today. There were scheduled to be 20 easyJet flights and two Eastern Airways flights departing from or arriving at the airport on Monday. Southend Airport said: 'Our thoughts are with those affected by today's events and all passengers impacted by this disruption. 'We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments.' EasyJet said the company's remaining flights to and from the airport had been 'diverted to alternative airports or are no longer able to operate'. Witnesses have told of the terrifying moment the plane crashed into a fireball as they watched on in horror. Mr Guppy and his family, from Benfleet, Essex, have often made a trip out of going to the Holiday Inn at the airport, which has a bar and restaurant on the fifth floor with a window to watch the planes. The crowd in the bar began screaming, he recalled, while his own wife was distraught. The father told MailOnline: 'I just looked around like 'Am I dreaming?'. I turned to my wife Jess, who had her hands over her face. She was pretty much in tears. 'She's still pretty upset about it all.' Mr Guppy said they were 'about 500 metres away on the fifth floor, so it's not like we could help. We decided to get our daughter out of there'. He added: 'Driving home I did have a lump in my throat and goosebumps. Everyone was pulled over at the side of the road watching the smoke. 'On my way back I rang the police and told them what I'd seen. They told me they'd give me a call on Monday.' John Johnson, who was at the airport with his children and wife on Sunday, said they saw a 'big fireball' after the plane crashed 'head first into the ground'. Mr Johnson, from Billericay, told the PA news agency: '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. 'There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it.' He said he felt 'shaken up' and his thoughts were with the people on the plane and their loved ones. As a precaution, because of their proximity to the incident, police said they were evacuating the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club but rugby club chairman Pete Jones said it had not been necessary. A bartender at the golf club, which is next door to the airport, said he felt a 'big heat wave' before looking up to a 'massive fireball' in the sky. James Philpott told the BBC: 'I was just basically in a hut like in the middle of the course and I didn't even see any plane go down or anything and I just felt like a big heat wave come through and I looked up and there was just a massive fireball basically 100 foot in the sky. 'It was more the heat really just kind of hit me as I was sitting there, just like, feel like I'm baking.' He continued: 'I think everyone was just quite shocked to be honest. 'People were sort of running towards it to see if anyone was injured or anything.' In a post on X, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the incident as 'tragic', adding that her 'thoughts are with all those involved' and that she was 'monitoring the situation and closely receiving regular updates'. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Southend, Rayleigh Weir and Basildon, along with off road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended the incident. Four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four hazardous area response team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were also sent to the scene, the East of England Ambulance Service said. Posting on X, David Burton-Sampson, Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, said: '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.' Southend Airport said the incident involved a 'general aviation aircraft' and the airport was 'working closely with the local authorities'. Essex Police have set up a dedicated public portal where people can contact them about the crash at:
Malay Mail
14-07-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Small plane crashes at London Southend Airport, forcing closure
LONDON, July 14 — A small plane has crashed at a London regional airport, the police and Southend London airport announced yesterday, forcing its closure. Video footage showed a 12-metre plane in flames with a plume of black smoke at Southend-on-Sea, an airport east of London. 'We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours,' said a statement from Essex police, describing it as a 'serious incident'. Police said they had been alerted a little before 4 pm local time (1500 GMT). They evacuated a nearby golf club and rugby club as a precaution, they added. A statement from London Southend Airport confirmed there had been 'a serious incident' Sunday afternoon. 'We are working closely with the local authorities and will be able to provide more information as soon as possible,' it added. Later yesterday, it announced the airport's closure 'until further notice'. 'All flights to and from the airport have been cancelled while police, emergency services and air accident investigators are attending the incident,' it added. In a post on X, transport minister Heidi Alexander said she was aware of the 'tragic incident' and was following developments closely. According to the BBC, the plane, a Beechcraft B200, crashed soon after takeoff. Southend-on-Sea is about 65 kilometres (40 miles) east of the capital and is the sixth largest airport in the London area. — AFP
Khaleej Times
13-07-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Small plane in flames after crash at Southend London airport; plumes of black smoke seen
A small plane has crashed at a London regional airport, the police and Southend London airport announced Sunday. Video footage showed a 12-metre plane in flames with a plume of black smoke at Southend-on-Sea, an airport east of London. "We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours," said a statement from Essex police. Police said they had been alerted a little before 4pm local time (1500 GMT). A statement from London Southend Airport confirmed there had been "a serious incident" Sunday afternoon. "We are working closely with the local authorities and will be able to provide more information as soon as possible," it added. According to the BBC, the plane, a Beechcraft B200, crashed soon after takeoff. Southend-on-Sea is about 65 kilometres (40 miles) east of the capital and is the sixth largest airport in the London area.
