London Southend Airport has been shut down following a tragic plane crash on Sunday afternoon, confirmed by chief executive Jude Winstanley. Just before 4 p.m. BST, Essex Police received reports of a 12-metre aircraft engulfed in flames.
Dutch aviation firm Zeusch Aviation confirmed that its SUZ1 flight was “involved in an accident” and is fully cooperating with authorities. The plane had a complex journey, departing Athens, stopping in Pula, Croatia, and landing in Southend before it was due to return to Lelystad in the Netherlands.
Eyewitness John Johnson from Billericay witnessed the harrowing scene, describing how the aircraft took off, then suddenly banked sharply left before crashing. “Within seconds, the plane nearly flipped over and slammed into the ground, followed by a huge fireball,” he told the BBC.