London Southend Airport will remain closed until further notice following a tragic plane crash on Sunday, according to the airport’s chief executive, Jude Winstanley.
The incident occurred shortly before 16:00 BST, when Essex Police were called to reports of a 12-metre aircraft engulfed in flames near the northern end of Southend-on-Sea. Dutch aviation company Zeusch Aviation later confirmed that their flight SUZ1 had been involved in the crash.
“We can confirm that Zeusch Aviation flight SUZ1 was involved in an accident today at London Southend Airport,” the company said in a statement. “We are fully cooperating with authorities as they investigate the incident. Further updates will be shared as more information becomes available. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.”
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| Essex Police |
Flight tracking data suggests the aircraft had departed Athens, made a stop in Pula, Croatia, and landed at Southend before it was scheduled to return to Lelystad in the Netherlands later that evening.
Eyewitness John Johnson, from Billericay, Essex, described the harrowing moment he saw the plane crash.
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| UKNIP |
“You could see the pilots smiling, and we smiled back,” he told the BBC. “The aircraft turned 180 degrees to face the take-off direction, powered up, and accelerated down the runway. It lifted off within seconds but began banking heavily to the left.
“I told my wife, ‘That’s unusual.’ Aircraft don’t normally turn at that stage of ascent. Moments later, it nearly flipped over and slammed into the ground. There was a massive fireball.”
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| Joe Gidens/ PA Media |
Emergency response was swift. Fire crews from Southend, Rayleigh Weir, and Basildon, along with off-road units from Billericay and Chelmsford, rushed to the scene. The East of England Ambulance Service deployed four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four Hazardous Area Response Team units, three senior paramedic vehicles, and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.
Despite their efforts, all four people aboard the aircraft were pronounced dead at the scene. Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin stated that the victims are believed to be foreign nationals. Their identities have not yet been released.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway.
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