A small aircraft plunged nose-first and crashed shortly after taking off from London Southend Airport, erupting into a massive fireball in full view of shocked families.
The 40-foot Beech B200 was departing the Essex airport for the Netherlands but climbed only 175 feet before crashing just yards from the runway.
Videos circulating on social media show a thick black plume of smoke rising into the sky, with one clip capturing passengers boarding another nearby flight.
The flight to Lelystad, located east of Amsterdam, was scheduled to depart at 3:45 p.m. but took off around ten minutes late, according to Flightradar.
It remains unclear how many people were on board, but the twin-engine turboprop aircraft—believed to be 31 years old—can accommodate up to 12 passengers. Witnesses reported that the pilots were seen waving to children as the plane taxied down the runway.
Emergency services, including Essex Police, ambulances, and fire crews, are currently at the scene. Authorities have urged residents to avoid the area, and multiple EasyJet flights from Southend Airport have been cancelled.
The crash has left families deeply shaken, including John Johnson, who witnessed the incident with his family. He described seeing the aircraft plummet “headfirst into the ground” before erupting into a “big fireball.”
“We all waved at the pilots, and they waved back at us,” Johnson said. “About three or four seconds after takeoff, the plane banked sharply to the left. Then, within seconds, it almost completely inverted and crashed.”
Images showing a large fire and thick black smoke have been circulating on social media.
A massive plume of black smoke was seen rising from the runway.
The flight to Lelystad was scheduled to depart at 3:45 p.m. but appears to have veered off the runway, according to Flightradar.
The aircraft involved in the crash was a small Beech B200 (stock photo).
“There was a huge fireball. Everyone was clearly in shock after witnessing it. All the children and families saw it happen.”
One shaken mother, who was watching planes take off with her daughter from a Holiday Inn viewing deck, told Metro:
“It was honestly surreal. The plane took off, and at about 50 meters it seemed to kick to the left. Then, around 100 meters, it abruptly banked sharply.
With that, it basically went down headfirst and burst into flames as it hit the ground. It didn’t look like there was any time to escape.
Luckily, I think my daughter is too young to fully understand what happened. I really feel for the other kids who saw it. It felt like being in a bad dream.”
Another witness, John, told the outlet:
“The plane took off, and within a few seconds, it banked steeply to the left. Then it almost inverted in a nose dive and crashed into the ground in a massive fireball. I don’t know how many people were on board—I only saw the two pilots before they departed.”
The Zeutch Aviation plane appears to have taken off heading northeast at around 120 mph and climbed to about 175 feet, according to Flightradar. However, data suggests it slowed after leaving the ground and turning north.
The aircraft, commonly used for mapping and medical evacuation flights, had completed two trips earlier that day: one from Athens, Greece, to Pula, Croatia, and then from Pula to Southend, landing in the UK at 2:51 p.m.
According to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague has not received any request for consular assistance.
In one video circulating online, passengers are seen boarding a plane while thick smoke from the crash billows on the opposite side of the runway.
Dani Hill, a resident near Southend Airport, told the Daily Star:
“I saw the huge fireball from my window. I’m still shaking badly. I’ve never seen anything like it. Praying everyone involved is okay, if there were any.”
One user posted on X:
“Just witnessed a Beechcraft crash on takeoff 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 tweeted:
“I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved.”
Councillor Matt Dent said:
“I am aware of the ongoing serious incident at London Southend Airport. At present, all I know is that a small plane has crashed. My thoughts are with everyone involved and with the emergency services responding to the scene.”
Local sports clubs—including Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club—have been evacuated as a precaution due to their proximity to the explosion, police confirmed.
The smoke cloud was visible from as far as 20 miles away at Tankerton Bay in Whitstable.
A bartender at Rochford Hundred Golf Club, located adjacent to Southend Airport, described feeling a “big heat wave” before seeing a “massive fireball” in the sky.
James Philpott told the BBC:
“I was sitting in a hut in the middle of the course and didn’t even see the plane go down. Suddenly, I felt a big heat wave, and when I looked up, there was a massive fireball about 100 feet in the sky.
It was really the heat that hit me — it felt like I was baking.”
He added, “Everyone was quite shocked. People started running toward the scene to see if anyone was hurt.”
Philpott said he and others were then gathered and taken back to the clubhouse, where they remain at a safe distance. The golf club has since closed.
EasyJet has cancelled several flights from Southend, including a 3:55 p.m. flight to Paris, 4:30 p.m. to Alicante, 5:25 p.m. to Faro, and 5:30 p.m. to Palma de Mallorca.
According to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, a Beechcraft 200 previously crashed at Southend Airport during takeoff in 1987, killing its pilot.
London Southend Airport confirmed:
“We can confirm there has been a serious incident this afternoon involving a general aviation aircraft. We are working closely with local authorities and will provide more information as soon as possible.”
Essex Police said:
“We remain at the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport. We were alerted shortly before 4 p.m. to reports of a collision involving a 12-metre plane. Emergency services are currently working at the scene, and operations are expected to continue for several hours. We kindly ask the public to avoid the area while this work is ongoing.”
The East of England Ambulance Service stated:
“Four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars, and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulances have been dispatched to Southend Airport in response to reports of an airplane incident. This remains a live and developing situation as we work alongside emergency services and aviation partners.”
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service added:
“We were called to an incident involving a light aircraft at Southend Airport at 3:58 p.m. Crews from Southend (two units), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two units), along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford, attended the scene. We continue to work with emergency services and aviation partners. Please avoid the area if possible while this operation continues.”
Zeusch Aviation, a Dutch airline, has been contacted for comment.
