LONDON – Another tragedy averted as a small aircraft Beechcraft B200 Super King Air has been crashed at London’s Southend Airport, shutting down operations on Sunday.
Panic struck London Airport this weekend as a small private aircraft plunged to ground in fiery crash just moments after takeoff. The dramatic incident brought all airport operations to a halt as emergency crews scrambled to the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing aircraft suddenly veer left, flip midair, and smash into the ground, causing explosion. Thick black smoke was spotted, and later captured in videos that quickly spread across social media.
The aircraft was being used for medical evacuation missions and short-haul flights, and had arrived from Pula, Croatia, following a flight from Athens, Greece. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad, Netherlands, later that evening.
In a statement, Zeusch Aviation confirmed that flight SUZ1 was involved in the crash and expressed sorrow over the incident. “We are fully cooperating with investigators and extend our heartfelt thoughts to everyone impacted,” the company said.
The crash triggered full shutdown of Southend Airport, located around 72 kilometers east of central London. All incoming and outgoing flights have been suspended indefinitely, as Essex Police, fire and rescue teams, and air accident investigators work at the scene.
Eyewitness John Johnson, who was at the airport with his family, described the horrifying sight. “The plane took off, made a sharp left turn, flipped in the air, and crashed nose-first. Seconds later, there was a huge fireball. It was terrifying.”
Authorities have yet to confirm how many passengers or crew were onboard, and whether there were any casualties. A full-scale investigation is now underway to determine what went wrong during the brief flight.
