A small passenger plane crashed moments after taking off from Southend Airport this afternoon, erupting into a dramatic fireball visible from the terminal and surrounding areas.
The incident occurred shortly before 4pm and involved a 12-metre Beechcraft King Air B200, which had been en route to Lelystad in the Netherlands after arriving from Croatia earlier in the day.
Emergency services respond swiftly to the scene
Essex Police, fire crews, and East of England Ambulance Service were quickly dispatched and remain at the scene, working in coordination to secure the area and investigate the crash. A significant perimeter has been established and the public are being urged to stay away while operations continue.
In an official statement, Essex Police confirmed: “We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane. We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours. We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues.”
Witnesses describe terrifying scenes
John Johnson, a witness who had been at the airport with his family, described the moment the aircraft hit the ground. “There was a big fireball. It went head first into the ground. Terrifying,” he said.
The full extent of injuries or fatalities has yet to be confirmed, but the scale of the emergency response suggests a serious incident.
Local MP urges calm and support for emergency services
David Burton-Sampson, Labour MP for Southend West, responded to the situation via X (formerly Twitter), urging the public to allow emergency workers space to operate. “I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved,” he wrote.
Flights disrupted as airport activity halted
London Southend Airport, which serves as a hub for EasyJet, has seen evening flights cancelled in the wake of the crash. Routes to Paris, Alicante, Faro and Palma de Mallorca were among those suspended as investigations and clear-up operations began.
Further updates are expected as officials continue to assess the situation.
