Plane crash halts operations at London Southend Airport
Airport remains shut; passengers told to contact airlines for updates
DUBAI: London Southend Airport in Essex shut down operations indefinitely on Sunday after a small aircraft crashed, triggering what onlookers described as a "huge fireball".
All flights to and from the airport have been cancelled as emergency services, police and air accident investigators remain at the scene.
Essex Police said they were alerted shortly before 16:00 BST to a report of a 12-metre aircraft on fire. London Southend Airport posted on X that the public would be kept updated and urged Monday travellers to contact their airlines.
— London Southend Airport (@SouthendAirport) July 13, 2025
According to the BBC, the plane involved was a Beech B200 Super King Air, a multi-purpose aircraft known for use in medical evacuations and aerial operations. Flight tracking showed it had travelled from Athens to Pula in Croatia before heading to Southend, with a final destination of Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands.
Eyewitness accounts
Video footage on social media showed thick black smoke rising near the runway. A local family said they had waved at the pilots moments before the aircraft banked sharply and crashed. John Johnson, from Billericay, told the BBC he saw the aircraft "almost invert" before it "hit the ground" and exploded.
James Philpott, a bartender at Rochford Hundred Golf Club, described feeling a “heatwave” before seeing the fireball. Evacuations were ordered in some nearby areas, though Westcliff Rugby Club, situated just 1,000 metres from the site, was not cleared.
Investigation underway
Dutch aviation company Zeusch Aviation confirmed its aircraft SUZ1 was involved and stated it was cooperating fully with authorities. No information has been released yet about the number of people on board or any casualties.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch is leading inquiries into the crash. Police urged the public to use a dedicated major incident portal to report information, in order to keep emergency lines clear. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said her thoughts were with those affected and that she was receiving ongoing updates.