A small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from London Southend Airport on Sunday afternoon, July 13, 2025, resulting in a dramatic fireball and a large plume of black smoke visible for miles around. Emergency services responded swiftly to the "serious incident," which involved a Beech B200 Super King Air aircraft operated by Zeusch Aviation, a Dutch company specializing in medical evacuation and transplant flights.
The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. local time, with Essex Police receiving reports of a collision involving a 12-metre plane. The aircraft had taken off at 3:48 p.m., bound for Lelystad in the Netherlands. Witnesses described the crash as sudden and catastrophic, with one man recalling how the plane banked steeply to the left, nearly inverted, and then crashed headfirst into the ground, triggering a massive fireball.
John Johnson, 40, from Billericay, Essex, was at the airport with his wife and children watching planes when he saw the pilots wave to his family moments before the takeoff. "We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us," Johnson said. "The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its takeoff point, powered up, rolled down the runway, and took off. About three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds, it more or less inverted and crashed just headfirst into the ground. There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock witnessing it. All the kids saw it and the families saw it. I phoned 999 and reported it."
Images and videos shared on social media showed huge flames and a large cloud of black smoke billowing into the sky. Golfers at the nearby Rochford Hundred Golf Club rushed toward the crash scene, shocked by the sight. James Philpott, a bartender at the golf club, described feeling a "big heat wave" before looking up to see a "massive fireball basically 100 feet in the sky." He said: "It was more the heat really just kind of hit me as I was sitting there, just like, feel like I'm baking. Everyone was just quite shocked. People were sort of running towards it to see if anyone was injured or anything." Due to the proximity of the crash, the golf club was evacuated as a precaution, with patrons moved to the clubhouse at a safe distance.
Westcliff Rugby Club, also near the airport, was initially slated for evacuation, but police later reversed this decision. Pete Jones, the club chairman, said: "That didn't happen in the end. (Police) changed their mind. We've got a big event there, 250 people, and they just said no, you don't have to evacuate." He added that the aircraft went down about 1,000 meters from the clubhouse, and people there could see smoke following the crash.
Emergency services mobilized rapidly. Essex Police, East of England Ambulance Service, and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service worked together at the scene. The ambulance service dispatched four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars, and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance. Fire crews from Southend, Rayleigh Weir, Basildon, Billericay, and Chelmsford attended, including off-road vehicles. The emergency response was expected to last several hours, and authorities urged the public to avoid the area.
London Southend Airport confirmed the "serious incident" involving a general aviation aircraft and stated it was cooperating closely with local authorities. The airport, located about an hour east of London near the coast, canceled all flights scheduled for Sunday, including EasyJet's four evening flights to Paris, Alicante, Faro, and Palma de Mallorca. EasyJet advised passengers to check online for updates, noting that remaining flights were either canceled or diverted to alternative airports.
The aircraft, a Beech B200 Super King Air, had earlier flown from Pula, Croatia, to Southend and was operated by Zeusch Aviation. The Dutch company specializes in medical evacuation services, transplant flights, and private charters, and the plane was reportedly equipped with medical systems for transporting patients. It remains unclear whether the flight was a medical evacuation or if any patients were on board at the time of the crash. The number of people aboard and any casualties have not been confirmed.
Local officials expressed concern and support for those affected. David Burton-Sampson, the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, posted on social media: "I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved." Similarly, Matt Dent, Southend City Council's cabinet member for business, culture, music, and tourism, said: "My thoughts are with all those involved, and with the emergency services currently responding to the incident."
This tragic event echoes a previous accident involving a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air at Southend Airport in 1987, when a cargo flight crashed shortly after takeoff, killing the pilot. The cause of the current crash is still unknown, and investigations are ongoing.
As the emergency response continues, authorities have reiterated the importance of avoiding the area to allow first responders to work effectively. The community remains shaken by the sudden and devastating crash, with many hoping for news of survivors and answers about what led to the accident.
Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
