On July 13 a medical transport aircraft operated by Dutch company Zeusch Aviation crashed shortly after takeoff from London Southend Airport in Essex. Find out more in the article below.
Victims Identified
Authorities confirmed that all four occupants were foreign nationals. Reports indicate that the crew included two Dutch men (a pilot and a co-pilot) and a medical team consisting of a Chilean nurse and a German medic. The aircraft was equipped for emergency medical evacuation, featuring stretcher systems and onboard life-support equipment .
Sequence of Events
The aircraft had landed earlier in the day from Pula, Croatia, with a prior stop in Athens, headed next to Lelystad in the Netherlands. Just seconds after lifting off at approximately 3:48 pm BST, eyewitnesses reported that the plane banked sharply, inverted, and plummeted nose-first into the ground, erupting into a fireball upon impact.
John Johnson, a bystander, shared:
“About three or four seconds after takeoff, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then… it more or less inverted and crashed head first… There was a big fireball.”
Response and Investigation
Emergency services, including fire crews, ambulances, and Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, responded swiftly. Essex Police, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), Civil Aviation Authority, the Royal Air Force, and airport personnel launched a coordinated response and blocked off the scene. An AAIB team collected critical data and debris, confirming no survivors onboard. Airport operations were immediately halted, with the Civil Aviation Authority imposing an exclusion zone around the crash site. Numerous flights were diverted or cancelled, affecting airlines like easyJet, and no reopening date has been announced. AAIB senior inspector Lisa Fitzsimons emphasized it’s too early to deduce a cause, noting that investigators are analyzing flight data, aircraft systems, and witness testimonies. Plans include transporting wreckage to the AAIB’s Farnborough facility for further examination.
About the Aircraft and Operator
The Beechcraft Super King Air B200 is a widely used pressurised turboprop aircraft, commonly used in medevac roles since the 1970s. Zeusch Aviation operates a number of similar aircraft equipped with advanced life-support capabilities, such as the LifePort Plus system, which supports one stretchered patient plus equipment including oxygen systems and inverters. The company has expressed profound condolences and committed to assistance with the ongoing investigation.
Eyewitness and Local Impact
The crash occurred near populated areas, including a golf course and local facilities, leaving witnesses—including children—deeply shaken . Emergency services have requested that locals avoid the area while recovery and investigation efforts continue .
What Comes Next
The investigation remains ongoing. AAIB, Essex Police, and other experts will analyze black-box data (if available), engineering health, crew operations, and weather conditions. Any lessons learned may lead to safety recommendations for preventing future tragedies . Meanwhile, affected passengers are urged to contact their airlines, as many flights continue to be diverted.
Summary
A medical evacuation flight crashed into a fireball just after takeoff from Southend Airport, tragically killing four foreign nationals. The accident is under scrutiny by numerous UK aviation agencies and local authorities. With the airport closed indefinitely and investigations underway, many seek clarity. Further updates are awaited as authorities piece together what led to this devastating incident.
