Captain of doomed plane that crashed at Southend Airport and first officer, 24, are pictured as airline pays tribute

The Sun

24-07-2025

THE captain of the plane that crashed at Southend Airport and killed four people has been named and pictured for the first time.
The small medical aircraft corkscrewed in the air shortly after taking off from the London airport before doomed aircraft plummeted to the ground on July 13.
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Now, it has been reported that Captain Danny Franken, 53, and first officer Floris Rhee, 24, were two of the four who died at the scene days ago.
Mr Franken, from Harderwijk, was married with two children and also worked as a first officer for KLM on Boeing 777, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
He was described by his family in an obituary notice as a "dearest husband, cheerful caring father, wonderful son, brother, son-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle".
The other two people onboard the plane - a female nurse and a male doctor - also died in the crash.
The nurse was named in reports as 31-year-old Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, a German national originally from Chile, and the doctor was named as German national Dr Matthias Eyl, 46.
The UK was rocked by the tragic air disaster on July 13 after footage showed the Beech B200 Super King Air crashing.
The plane was heading for Lelystad in the Netherlands, with an estimated departure time of 3.45pm.
The plane was returning to its base having transported a patient into the UK for treatment when tragedy struck.
Southend Airport was closed following the incident so investigations could be carried out, before reopening on July 17.
Those inquiries have been ongoing, according to the Air Accident Investigation Branch.
Marco Rietvelt, managing director of Zeusch Aviation, said: "Danny and Floris were not only highly skilled pilots, but also greatly valued and popular members of our team.
"Their passion for flying was matched by their dedication to their colleagues and the important missions they carried out.
"We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic loss.
"Our priority is to support the families of those lost, as well as our employees, during this incredibly difficult time.
"We are also fully committed to assisting the authorities in their ongoing investigation."
The plane was operated by the Netherlands-based Zeusch Aviation.