All four people killed in Southend plane crash thought to be foreign nationals, police say

Four people have died after a plane crashed and exploded shortly after taking off from London Southend Airport.

The medical transport plane had dropped off a patient and was beginning its journey back to the Netherlands when it crashed at about 3.48pm on Sunday.

Two Dutch pilots and a Chilean nurse were among those on board, according to a passenger listing document.

The deceased were all foreign nationals, Essex Police said.

John Johnson, who was at the airport with his wife and children, said he saw a “big fireball” exploding across the sky as the plane plunged “head first into the ground”.

“We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us,” he said.

“The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take-off, powered up [and] rolled down the runway.

“It took off and about three or four seconds [later] 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.”

Mr Johnson added: “There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock [after] witnessing it.”

Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin said the plane “got into difficulty” shortly after taking off and “crashed within the airport boundary”.

He added: “Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died.

“We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals.”

Southend Airport said it would be “closed until further notice” and urged people to contact their airlines.

Its staff are “working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators”.

Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, confirmed its flight SUZ1 had been “involved in an accident” at the airport and its thoughts were with “everyone who has been affected”.

It has been reported that the plane involved is a Beech B200 Super King Air with twin-propellers.

According to flight-tracker Flightradar, it took off at 3.48pm and was bound for Lelystad in the Netherlands.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it is investigating the incident “involving an aircraft near Southend Airport”.

“A multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, human factors, engineering and recorded data arrived at the accident site yesterday afternoon. Enquiries are ongoing today,” a spokesperson added.

‘Airport was in lockdown’

Wren Stranix, 16, from Woodbridge in Suffolk, was in another aircraft waiting to take off for Newquay, Cornwall, with her family and boyfriend when the plane came down.

They watched from their aircraft as the emergency services arrived and were not able to leave their seats.

“The flight attendant didn’t know what was going on,” she told Sky News. “They said the plane had exploded and they didn’t know if it was safe or not. The airport was in lockdown.”

They were eventually allowed back in the terminal to wait before all flights were cancelled.

Southend Airport said the incident involved “a general aviation aircraft”.

Read more from Sky News:
Liverpool honours Jota at first game since his death
Trump threatens to revoke comedian’s US citizenship

After the incident, EasyJet – one of just a few airlines that uses the airport – said all of its remaining flights to and from Southend had been “diverted to alternative airports or are no longer able to operate”.

The airline said it has contacted customers who were due to travel on Sunday. Anyone due to fly on Monday should check online for up-to-date information, it added.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said four crews, along with off-road vehicles, have attended the scene.

The East of England Ambulance Service said four ambulances, four hazardous area response team vehicles and an air ambulance had been sent to the incident.

David Burton-Sampson, the MP for Southend West and Leigh, asked people to keep away from the area and “allow the emergency services to do their work” in a post on social media.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “monitoring the situation closely and receiving regular updates”.

Essex Police asked anyone with information or footage to get in touch.

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.”

He added: “We are working closely with all at the scene, as well as the Air Accident Investigation Branch, to establish what has happened today and why.”