- All four passengers aboard the crashed aircraft are confirmed dead
- Victims believed to be foreign nationals, not British
- Southend Airport remains closed; AAIB is investigating the crash
All four people on board a small aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff from London Southend Airport have died, police confirmed on Monday.
According to Essex Police, efforts are ongoing to formally identify the victims, who are believed to be foreign nationals. “Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died,” said Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin. “At this stage, we believe none of the victims are British.”
The aircraft, a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air operated by Dutch company Zeusch Aviation, had traveled from Athens to Pula, Croatia on Sunday before arriving in Southend. It was scheduled to return to its base in Lelystad, Netherlands, later that evening. Moments after takeoff, the 23-meter (39-foot) twin-turboprop crashed and caught fire.
Zeusch Aviation specializes in medical evacuation, organ transport, aerial mapping, and private charter flights, according to its website.
London Southend Airport, a regional hub located about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of London, was closed following the crash. Officials have not yet announced when it will reopen.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has deployed a specialized team to investigate the crash. The group includes experts in aircraft operations, engineering, human factors, and flight data analysis.
The Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, first introduced in the 1970s, is widely used for a variety of missions worldwide. A similar aircraft was involved in a deadly crash in 2017 when it hit a shopping mall in Melbourne, Australia, killing the pilot and four American tourists.
