London Southend airport has been closed and flights cancelled after a small airplane crashed right into a fireball shortly after takeoff.
The Beechcraft B200 plane crashed about 4pm on Sunday, quickly after taking off from the airport, which is in Essex. The airplane was seen in flames with darkish smoke billowing from it, in line with witnesses and images circulating on social media.
An announcement from Essex police mentioned: “We have been alerted shortly earlier than 4pm to reviews of a collision involving one 12-metre airplane. We’re working with all emergency providers on the scene now and that work might be ongoing for a number of hours.
“We might please ask the general public to keep away from this space the place doable whereas this work continues.”
The plane, operated by Zeusch Aviation, was geared up with medical techniques for transporting sufferers. The Dutch firm specialises in medical evacuations and transplant flights and likewise runs non-public charters.
The airline confirmed that its flight SUZ1 had been concerned in an accident.
“We’re actively supporting the authorities with the investigation and can present updates on this web page as extra data turns into out there,” the airline mentioned.
“Our ideas are with everybody who has been affected.”
The reason for the crash just isn’t but recognized and it’s unclear how many individuals have been onboard, whether or not the flight from Southend was a medical evacuation or whether or not any affected person was onboard.
In line with the flight-tracking service Flightradar24, the airplane took off at 3.48pm and was sure for Lelystad, a metropolis within the Netherlands.
John Johnson from Billericay was at Southend airport along with his household on the time of the crash. . He instructed PA Media: “All of us waved on the pilots, they usually all waved again at us. The plane then turned 180 levels to face its takeoff departure, powered up, rolled down the runway.
“It took off and about three or 4 seconds after taking off it began to financial institution closely to its left, after which inside just a few seconds of that taking place, it roughly inverted and crashed simply headfirst into the bottom.
“There was a giant fireball. Clearly, all people was in shock by way of witnessing it. All the youngsters noticed it and the households noticed it.”
Essex County fireplace and rescue service mentioned 4 crews together with off-road autos had attended the incident, whereas the East of England ambulance service mentioned 4 ambulances and 4 hazardous space response staff autos have been on the scene, along with an air ambulance.
ESN Report wrote on X: “Simply witnessed a Beechcraft crash on takeoff at Southend airport about 40 minutes after a Cessna additionally left the runway. Ideas are with these on the plane. Completely tragic. Was waving to the aircrew simply moments earlier than.”
David Burton-Sampson, the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, posted on X: “I’m conscious of an incident at Southend airport. Please hold away and permit the emergency providers to do their work. My ideas are with everybody concerned.”
Police mentioned they’d evacuated the Rochford Hundred golf membership as a precaution due to its proximity to the incident.
After saying flights had been grounded on Sunday, London Southend airport mentioned in an announcement that passengers because of journey on Monday ought to“contact their airline for data and recommendation”.
“We’ll restart flight operations as quickly as doable and can proceed to replace the general public on developments,” the assertion mentioned.
EasyJet earlier mentioned all of its flights to and from Southend had been “diverted to different airports or are now not in a position to function”.
