A light aircraft crash at London Southend Airport on Sunday claimed four lives, prompting an urgent investigation into what led to the fatal incident.
Plane crash leaves four dead at London Southend Airport
According to PA News, the crash occurred just before 16:00 BST (17:00 SAST) and involved a single-engine 12-metre aircraft. The plane belonged to Dutch-based charter operator Zeusch Aviation and was registered under the flight code SUZ1.
Eyewitnesses described seeing a “fireball” erupt at the site, followed by thick black smoke.
Emergency services arrived on the scene shortly after the incident.
Essex Police confirmed that all four individuals aboard the aircraft were killed. The identities of the victims have not yet been officially released.
Images circulated on social media showed a violent blaze at the crash site, with visible damage to the surrounding area.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which is responsible for probing civil aviation incidents in the UK, has since deployed a multi-disciplinary team to determine the cause of the crash.
“The AAIB has started an investigation into an accident involving an aircraft near Southend Airport which occurred yesterday afternoon. A team including inspectors specialising in aircraft operations, human factors, engineering and recorded data arrived at the accident site yesterday afternoon. Inquiries are ongoing today,” the AAIB said in a statement.
Zeusch Aviation, headquartered at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, confirmed the accident and expressed condolences to the affected families.
“We can confirm that Zeusch Aviation flight SUZ1 was involved in an accident today at London Southend Airport,” the company said.
“We are actively supporting the authorities with the investigation and will provide updates as more information becomes available. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.”
Essex Police reiterated that this is a “complex and sensitive” case, calling on the public and media to exercise patience as the investigation continues.
Zeusch Aviation operates specialised flights such as medical evacuations, organ transplant transports, aerial mapping, and surveillance.
The specific nature of the SUZ1 flight on Sunday has not yet been disclosed by authorities or the airline.