Medical aircraft that crashed at Southend Airport 'is owned by Dutch IT millionaire' as police reveal the four people killed were all foreign nationals
The international airport, near Southend–on–Sea in Essex, has been forced to cancel all flights and close 'until further notice' after Zeusch Aviation Flight SUZ1 crashed just before 4pm on Sunday.
The 12–metre plane operated by the Dutch company Zeusch Aviation is owned by IT millionaire 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.
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.
'Yesterday afternoon, an aircraft which had landed here earlier in the day took off bound for the Netherlands,' he told a press conference.
'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.'
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 seconds after take-off.
Chief superintendent Morgan Cronin continued: '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.'
Lisa Fitzsimons of the AAIB said at this stage 'it is too early to speculate' on what may have caused the plane crash.
She said: '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.'
Footage on social media shows a plume of fire and black smoke billowing into the air from the crash site, while witnesses described seeing the medical jet 'corkscrew' before erupting into a ball of flames.
Ben Guppy, 34, who had taken his 15–month–old daughter to the fifth floor of a nearby Holiday Inn hotel to watch the planes take off and land, told MailOnline he saw the plane reach 'probably 50 metres off the runway' before it began tilting left.
Describing the moment of impact, the wholesale director 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 metres 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.
The frantic moment a group of golfers, playing at the nearby Rochford Hundred Golf Club, rushed to the burning wreckage was also caught on camera.
Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been 'involved in an accident' at Southend Airport.
The statement said 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 will remain 'closed until further notice' after a plane crashed shortly after taking off on Sunday, the airport's chief executive Jude Winstanley said.
Speaking at a press conference at the airport, he 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.'
There were scheduled to be 20 easyJet flights and two Eastern Airways flights departing from or arriving at the airport on Monday.
EasyJet said the company's remaining flights to and from the airport had been 'diverted to alternative airports or are no longer able to operate'.
Witnesses have told of the terrifying moment the plane crashed into a fireball as they watched on in horror.
Mr Guppy and his family, from Benfleet, Essex, have often made a trip out of going to the Holiday Inn at the airport, which has a bar and restaurant on the fifth floor with a window to watch the planes.
The crowd in the bar began screaming, he recalled, while his own wife was distraught.
The father told MailOnline: 'I just looked around like 'Am I dreaming?'. I turned to my wife Jess, who had her hands over her face. She was pretty much in tears. She's still pretty upset about it all.'
Mr Guppy said they were 'about 500 metres away on the fifth floor, so it's not like we could help. We decided to get our daughter out of there'.
He added: 'Driving home I did have a lump in my throat and goosebumps. Everyone was pulled over at the side of the road watching the smoke.
'On my way back I rang the police and told them what I'd seen. They told me they'd give me a call on Monday.'
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'.
Mr Johnson, from Billericay, 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.
As a precaution, because of their proximity to the incident, police said they were evacuating the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club but rugby club chairman Pete Jones said it had not been necessary.
A bartender at the golf club, which is next door to the airport, said he felt a 'big heat wave' before looking up to a 'massive fireball' in the sky.
James Philpott told the BBC: 'I was just basically in a hut like in the middle of the course and I didn't even see any plane go down or anything and I just felt like a big heat wave come through and I looked up and there was just a massive fireball basically 100 foot in the sky.
'It was more the heat really just kind of hit me as I was sitting there, just like, feel like I'm baking.'
He continued: 'I think everyone was just quite shocked to be honest.
'People were sort of running towards it to see if anyone was injured or anything.'
In a post on X, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the incident as 'tragic', adding that her 'thoughts are with all those involved' and that she was 'monitoring the situation and closely receiving regular updates'.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Southend, Rayleigh Weir and Basildon, along with off road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended the incident.
Four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four hazardous area response team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were also sent to the scene, the East of England Ambulance Service said.
Posting on X, David Burton–Sampson, Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, said: '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.'
An AAIB spokeswoman said: 'The AAIB has started an investigation into an accident involving an aircraft near Southend Airport which occurred yesterday afternoon.
'A multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, human factors, engineering and recorded data arrived at the accident site yesterday afternoon. Inquiries are ongoing today.'
Southend Airport said the incident involved a 'general aviation aircraft' and the airport was 'working closely with the local authorities'.
Essex Police have set up a dedicated public portal where people can contact them about the crash at: https://esxpol.uk/LIbaz.
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