Southend Airport plane crash: Flight nurse dies on first day as tragedy claims four lives
Tragedy struck at Southend Airport after a small medical aircraft crashed shortly after take-off, killing all four people onboard — including a flight nurse on her very first day.
Among the victims was Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, 31, a German national originally from Chile. Ortiz had only just begun a new chapter in her career as a flight nurse, transitioning from her work in the public healthcare sector.
“She was so excited for this new job,” said her friend Anna Smith, speaking to the BBC. “She had a giving heart and was humble, and chose a profession that reflected that.”
The aircraft, a Beech B200 Super King Air, was operated by Zeusch Aviation, a company known for medical evacuation flights. Also on board were a Dutch pilot, a co-pilot, and a fourth unidentified individual. The plane had reportedly dropped off a patient at Southend Airport and was returning to the Netherlands when disaster struck on Sunday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses reported a deafening explosion followed by thick smoke rising into the sky. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, but there were no survivors.
Further information on the small aircraft fireball at Southend in London has offered insight into the moments leading up to the crash and the immediate response.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched a full-scale probe. Specialist inspectors in aviation operations, engineering, and human factors are now combing through wreckage and flight data to piece together what happened in the moments before the crash.
The airport remains closed, with operations suspended as authorities secure the area and continue their investigation.
Locals have laid flowers near the crash site, mourning the lives lost in what should have been an ordinary medical flight.
Ortiz’s story has struck a chord across the UK and abroad. A young woman full of promise. A career rooted in compassion. And a future cruelly cut short.
Investigations continue. But for now, grief hangs heavily over Southend.
