Plane that crashed in UK was medical aircraft owned by Dutch IT millionaire
The plane, operated by the Dutch company Zeusch Aviation, is owned by Dutch man Con Zwinkels, who also piloted a Boeing 747 for Martinair, according to Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf.
Essex Police chief superintendent Morgan Cronin confirmed that all four people onboard the plane were foreign nationals. Two Dutch pilots and a Chilean nurse were among those on board, according to a document which lists passengers.
Cronin told a press conference: 'Yesterday afternoon, an aircraft which had landed here earlier in the day took off bound for the Netherlands.
'Shortly after take-off, it got into difficulty and crashed within the airport boundary. Sadly, we can now confirm that all four people on board died. We are working to officially confirm their identities. At this stage, we believe all four are foreign nationals.'
It is also understood that the plane had dropped off a patient at Southend and was due to return to its base in the Netherlands.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to four people killed saying his 'thoughts are with their families and loved ones'.
Cronin added: 'Our detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with air accident investigators, the Royal Air Force, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to build an accurate picture of what happened.
'To aid our investigation, the Civil Aviation Authority has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site.
'We're also speaking with dozens of witnesses, some of whom have already provided video footage, and we'd like to thank them for their help. I know this would be an extremely distressing scene for them.
'I know there will be a lot of questions about what happened here yesterday. We are doing all we can to establish the facts and get those answers.'
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into what caused the Beech B200 Super King Air to suddenly plummet to the ground.
Lisa Fitzsimons of the AAIB said at this stage 'it is too early to speculate' on what may have caused the plane crash.
She added: 'Our focus is on gathering the physical evidence from the accident site and interviewing witnesses.
'The remains of the aircraft will then be recovered to our facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, for further detailed investigation.'
Ben Guppy, 34, who had taken his one-year-old daughter to the fifth floor of a nearby Holiday Inn hotel to watch the planes take off and land, told DailyMail.com he saw the plane reach 'probably 50 meters off the runway' before it began tilting left.
Describing the moment of impact, he said explained: 'My daughter was pointing at it and then it lifted to the left. The left wing came down, the ring wing came up. I thought he's keen to go left as soon as he takes off.
'He's banking hard left and then the next thing you know, it's like another handbrake turn. He went left so violently and I thought 'What is he doing?' He was only about 100 meters up by this point.
'And then he corkscrewed upside down into the floor, the plane was only in the air for seconds. I looked at it and the fireball went up, there was fire and smoke everywhere. Luckily my daughter was facing the other way.'
A plane 'corkscrewing' refers to the moment an aircraft rapidly spirals to towards the ground.
Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been 'involved in an accident' at Southend Airport.
The company was 'actively supporting the authorities with the investigation', adding: 'Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.'
Zeusch Aviation's website says the plane can be used for medical flights to transport patients or organs. It has also been deployed for aerial mapping flights.
The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad on Sunday night.
London Southend Airport's chief executive Jude Winstanley said: Our staff are working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators to support their work. I would like to thank them for all of their hard work during this period.
'We are in constant dialog with our operating airlines, and as I'm sure everyone will understand, the airport will remain closed until further notice. Passengers should contact their airline for information and advice.'
Witnesses have told of the terrifying moment the plane crashed into a fireball as they watched on in horror.
John Johnson, who was at the airport with his children and wife on Sunday, said they saw a 'big fireball' after the plane crashed 'head first into the ground'.
Johnson told the PA news agency: 'We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take–off, departure, powered up, rolled down the runway.
'It took off and about three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground. There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it.'
He said he felt 'shaken up' and his thoughts were with the people on the plane and their loved ones.
Terrifying: In one video circulating online, passengers were seen boarding with the crash billowing smoke on the other side of the runway
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