London Southend is a relatively small airport, around 72 kms east of the capital. Representative image: courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Four dead in London Southend Airport plane crash
A small Beechcraft B200 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday, prompting airport closure as investigators probe the incident
Four people have died after a small plane crashed at the London Southend Airport on Sunday (July 13). However, so far there has been no official confirmation regarding the number of fatalities or the number of passengers on board the aircraft, reported The Guardian on Monday (July 14).
The report further stated that, according to the PA news agency, it was understood that four people have died in the crash, adding that Essex police are scheduled to hold a press conference later in the evening.
Probe launched
According to media reports, the Beechcraft B200 aircraft crashed at about 4 pm, soon after it took off from the airport in Essex. According to eyewitness accounts, the plane exploded into a fireball soon after it slammed into the ground.
The authorities have closed the airport till further notice as the Air Accident Investigation has announced that it would initiate a probe into the crash.
“A multi-disciplinary team, including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, human factors, engineering and recorded data, arrived at the accident site yesterday afternoon. Inquiries are ongoing today,” a spokesperson was quoted by The Guardian as saying.
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Essex Police mentions ‘collision’
The Essex Police said that they were informed about the crash shortly before 4pm of a collision” involving a-12 12-metre aircraft. They further stated that they were working with all emergency services at the spot, adding the operation would continue for several hours. The Essex Police also urged the public to avoid the spot. They also said that they had evacuated the Rochford Hundred golf club as a precaution because of its proximity to the incident.
The aircraft was operated by Aeusch Aviation, a Dutch company specialising in medical evacuations and transplant flights. The aircraft was equipped with medical equipment. The airline confirmed that its flight SUZ1 had suffered an accident.
“We are actively supporting the authorities with the investigation and will provide updates on this page as more information becomes available,” the airline said as quoted by The Guardian.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft took off at 3.48 pm and was bound for Lelystad in the Netherlands.
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What airport authorities said
The London Southend airport, which on Sunday announced that all flights had been grounded,d said in a statement that passengers scheduled to travel on Monday should get in touch with their airline for further information.
“We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments,” the airport authorities said in a statement.