A light aircraft went down soon after taking off from London Southend Airport.
A Beechcraft B200 aircraft has crashed in Essex, UK, soon after taking off from London Southend Airport. The incident took place around 16:00 local time on Sunday and was caught on video, which was later published on social media.
Clips show plumes of thick black smoke rising into the sky from a field near the runway. Photos allegedly taken moments after the crash show a big explosion, with a huge fireball rising into the air.
The number of people onboard the small passenger plane remains unclear. Southend Airport as well as the Essex police confirmed the incident but as yet there has been no confirmation of casualties. “We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-meter plane. We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours,” the police said in a statement.
Four ambulances, four hazardous area response team vehicles and an air ambulance were deployed to the scene, according to the local medical service. The police evacuated the Rochford Hundred golf club and Westcliff rugby club as a precaution due to their proximity to the crash site.
The aircraft was scheduled to fly to the town of Lelystad in the Netherlands, according to British media reports. London Southend Airport is located around 60km from central London. Flightradar indicates the operator was Zeusch Aviation, a Dutch company that specializes in medical evacuation services and transplant flights, as well as private charters.
