London Plane Crash: Horror as Jet Bursts into Flames Moments After Takeoff from Southend Airport
A devastating London plane crash shocked residents and aviation enthusiasts alike on Tuesday afternoon, when a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air went down just seconds after taking off from London Southend Airport.
The aircraft, operated by Dutch-based Zeusch Aviation, erupted into a fiery inferno around 3:55 p.m. after struggling to gain altitude. Eyewitnesses reported a terrifying scene—an aircraft nosediving into the earth, followed by a massive fireball and columns of thick, black smoke towering into the Essex sky.
“The plane veered suddenly and then just dropped—it was horrifying,” recalled John Johnson, a local from Billericay. He had waved to the pilots moments before the tragedy unfolded.
Data from Flightradar24 confirms the jet barely reached 175 feet before plummeting near the runway’s edge. Its destination was Lelystad in the Netherlands.
Emergency services arrived within minutes as fire crews, police, and ambulances converged on the area. Essex Police quickly labelled it a “serious incident,” prompting swift evacuations of nearby venues such as Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club amid the uncontrolled blaze. This tragic event now adds to a growing list of aviation disasters haunting the UK this year.
From Croatia to Catastrophe – The ill-fated aircraft had flown in from Pula, Croatia, earlier that day and was on its return journey to the Netherlands. The Beech B200 Super King Air, often used for corporate, medevac, and cargo flights, is known for reliability. Twin turboprops. Pressurised cabin. Room for nine. It’s a respected workhorse of European skies.
Zeusch Aviation had employed the model for medical missions across the continent. Yet on this day, something went terribly wrong.
The crash caused widespread disruption at Southend. At least five easyJet departures were cancelled. Two incoming flights were rerouted to Gatwick and Stansted.
Echoes of a Darker Past – The accident has reignited memories of a hauntingly similar incident. On 12 September 1987, another Super King Air crashed shortly after takeoff from Southend, also with fatal consequences.
From the Holiday Inn’s viewing platform, stunned onlookers watched the sky darken. Many drew parallels between the two tragedies.
Aviation analysts now await more details. Until investigators assess maintenance logs, pilot inputs, and load distribution, many questions will remain unanswered. The aircraft’s strong track record doesn’t exempt it from scrutiny.
But for those who saw the fireball rise into the sky, the images are etched in memory. A tragedy in the skies above Essex. A sudden, violent end. And a community left searching for answers.
