Southend Airport Plane Crash

Shortly after takeoff, the flight crashed into the ground, sending golfers racing towards a burning plane wreck at Southend Airport.

In the video, a group of panicked men can be seen sprinting across the Rochford Hundred Golf Club, which is adjacent to the airport, in the direction of a massive smoke cloud.

The frantic group seemed to be looking for someone near the ‘fireball’ – afraid they’d been caught in the impact. 

In shortened breaths, one man shouts ‘F***ing hell, who’s there?’

He then seemingly says: ‘F*** is happened here… from the airport on the golf course.’

The man adds: ‘Oi watch the explosion boys, watch the explosion. What the f***. Someone on the tee, who is it, who’s on the tee?’

‘Where – where’s someone on the floor,’ he says dramatically before the video cuts out.

Earlier this afternoon, a small plane ‘nosedived’ and crashed after takeoff in front of stunned families at the Essex airport.

The 40ft-long Beech B200 aircraft was heading to the Netherlands but reached just 175 feet before crashing yards from the runway.

Social media users have started sharing videos of a black smoke cloud rising into the sky, one of which shows nearby passengers boarding another aircraft.

The flight to Lelystad, east of Amsterdam, was scheduled to take off at 3.45 pm but took off 10 minutes late, according to Flightradar. 

It is vague how many people were onboard but the twin-engined turboprop aircraft, thought to be 31 years old, can hold up to 12 passengers and the pilots were seen waving to children as the aircraft was taxiing. 

Fire engines, ambulances, and Essex Police were all present at the scene. The police have established a special phone line for enquiries or information.

Residents are being urged to stay away from the area, which has a vast cordon in place, and several Easyjet flights from Southend have been withdrawn.

It was said that the Rochford Hundred Golf Club was evacuated due to its closeness to the explosion as a ‘precaution’. 

A bartender at the club, which is next door to Southend Airport, said he felt a ‘big heat wave’ before looking up to a ‘massive fireball’ in the sky.

Families have been left distraught after seeing the traumatising impact, including John Johnson who was at the airport with his family when they saw the aircraft crash ‘headfirst into the ground’ and burst into a ‘big fireball’. 

The father said: ‘We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. 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.’

‘There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it. All the kids saw it and the families saw it.’

Essex Police’s 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.

‘Please help us keep our emergency lines open by using these specific channels if you’re contacting us about this incident.’

She urged the public to call 0800 0961011, international callers were directed to 0207 1580126 and a Major Incident Public Portal is available.

She 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.

‘I fully appreciate the desire for more information in this matter, and we will share as much as we can, when we can, throughout our work.

‘But it is vital for all involved that this investigation is carried out thoroughly and correctly, and to do that we will all need time.’

One shocked mother who was watching the planes take off from a Holiday Inn viewing deck with her daughter told Metro: ‘It was honestly a surreal experience. The plane took off, then around 50 meters it sort of kicked to the left, then around 100 meters it abruptly banked to the left.

‘With that, it basically descended down headfirst and just burst into flames as it hit the ground…It didn’t look like there was time to bail out.

‘Luckily, I think my daughter is too young to know what really happened. I feel for the other kids who were there and witnessed it too. It felt like we were in a bad dream.’ 

Another witness, John, said: ‘The plane took off, and within a few seconds, it had a steep bank to its left. Then it turned into an inverted nosedive, almost, and it crashed into the ground in a big fireball. I don’t know how many people were onboard, I could only see the two pilots before they took off.’ 

The Zeutch Aviation aircraft appears to have taken off in a northeasterly direction at about 120mph and reached about 175 feet, according to Flightradar, but data shows it slowed after leaving the ground and turning to the north.

The aircraft, which is frequently used for mapping and medivac journeys, had completed two trips that day, one from Athens in Greece to Pula in Croatia and then from Pula to Southend, landing in the UK at 2.51 pm.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague has not been contacted for support, Dutch outlet De Telegraaf reported.

Dani Hill, who lives near Southend Airport, told the Daily Star: ‘I saw the huge fireball from my window. I’m still shaking like mad.

‘I’ve never seen anything like it. Praying all involved are ok if any.’

One user wrote on X: ‘Just witnessed a Beechcraft crash on take-off at Southend airport about 40 minutes after a Cessna also left the runway.

‘Thoughts are with those on the aircraft. Absolutely tragic. Was waving to the aircrew just moments before.’

MP David Burton-Sampson wrote on X: ‘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.’

Councillor Matt Dent said: ‘I am aware of the live serious incident ongoing at London Southend Airport. At present all I know is that a small plane has crashed at the airport. 

‘My thoughts are with all those involved, and with the emergency services currently responding to the incident.’

The chairman of Westcliff Rugby Club, which is near Southend Airport, said people at the club did not end up having to evacuate following the plane crash, despite initial reports.

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 1,100 yards from the clubhouse and that people there could see smoke in the aftermath.

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.’

Mr Philpott said he and others were collected from the course and taken back to the clubhouse where they remain now at a ‘safe distance’ with the club closed.

Easyjet has withdrawn several flights out of Southend, including a 3.55 pm flight to Paris, a 4.30 pm flight to Alicante, a 5.25 pm flight to Faro, as well as a 5.30 pm flight to Palma de Mallorca. 

A Beechcraft 200 had previously crashed at Southend Airport, killing its pilot in the takeoff in 1987, according to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives.

An airport spokesman said: ‘We can confirm there has been a serious incident at London Southend Airport this afternoon involving a general aviation aircraft.

‘We are working closely with the local authorities and will be able to provide more information as soon as possible.’

East of England Ambulance Service said: ‘Four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance have been sent to Southend Airport responding to reports of an incident involving an airplane.

‘This is a live incident and still developing as we work at the scene with our emergency services colleagues and aviation partners.’

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement: ‘We were called to an incident involving a light aircraft at Southend Airport today at 3.58 pm.

‘Crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two), along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended.

‘We are continuing to work at the scene with our emergency services and aviation partners.

‘Please avoid the area if possible while this work continues.

Zeusch Aviation, a Dutch plane company, has been contacted for comment. 

Is it just me or has there been far too many plane crashes recently?

Can you imagine boarding an aircraft as you watch another coming down in a ball of fire – terrifying and I still don’t believe flying is the safest form of transport.