Latest news with #Danny Marco Franken
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pilots killed in Southend Airport plane crash named
Two pilots killed when a plane crashed at Southend Airport earlier this month have been named. They were captain Danny Marco Franken and first officer Floris Christiaan Rhee, said flight operator Zeusch Aviation. They are believed to be Dutch. The chartered plane, which had taken a patient to the UK for treatment, crashed shortly after take-off at the airport on 13 July. It's thought the patient had been dropped off and the aircraft was heading back to base in the Netherlands. Two passengers, a female nurse and a male doctor, also died. Zeusch Aviation boss Marco Rietvelt said the pilots were "highly skilled". "Their passion for flying was matched by their dedication to their colleagues and the important missions they carried out," said a statement. "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 nurse who died was named in reports as 31-year-old Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, originally from Chile, and the doctor was named as German national Dr Matthias Eyl, 46. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating. Read more from Sky News: John Johnson, who was at the airport with his wife and children, said the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 crashed soon after take off. "It took off and about three or four seconds [later] 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," he said. The pilots had waved at his family moments earlier as they taxied the plane to the take-off position, Mr Johnson said. Zeusch Aviation is based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Southend Airport plane crash pilots named
Two pilots who died when a medical plane crashed at London Southend Airport have been named. They were captain Danny Marco Franken and first officer Floris Christiaan Rhee, flight operator Zeusch Aviation said. They are understood to be Dutch. The plane, chartered for a patient to be transported for treatment in the UK, crashed within the airport boundary shortly after take-off on July 13. It is understood that the patient had been dropped off and the plane was bound for its base in the Netherlands when the accident happened. 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 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. An inquiry by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch into what happened is ongoing.
