2 days ago
Police work to recover fourth body after plane crash at Southend Airport
Three bodies have been recovered from the site of a plane crash at London Southend Airport with work continuing to recover the fourth, police said.
Essex Police said the aircraft, which crashed on Sunday afternoon, killing four people, was a medical flight chartered for a patient to be transported for treatment in the UK.
It is understood that the patient had been dropped off and the plane was bound for its base in the Netherlands when it crashed, killing four people who were all foreign nationals.
Police said the four were the plane's commander, co-pilot and a doctor, who were all men, and a female nurse.
The nurse has been named in media reports as Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, 31, who was originally from Chile and was a German national.
The doctor has been named in reports as German national Dr Matthias Eyl, 46.
It is understood that the two pilots were Dutch.
Essex Police said officers are working closely with the coroner and are not able to officially confirm the identities until formal identification has taken place.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the force said it was 'continuing to work on recovering a fourth body within the next 24 hours'.
The airport remains closed until further notice.
Police said it was an 'extremely complex operation which is being carried out sensitively and to give each person the dignity they deserve'.
The force said it was in contact with the respective embassies of the four victims, and support for the families was also in place in their home countries.
Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin said: 'Our response to this incredibly complex incident continues today in parallel with our colleagues at the AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch).
'Everything we are doing is aimed at finding and preserving the physical and electronic evidence which we hope will help build an accurate picture of what happened.
'The scale of the work being undertaken by many agencies here at London Southend Airport should not be underestimated.
'That work at the scene will continue today and further into the week as we seek to find the answers to what happened here on Sunday afternoon.'
Witnesses told of seeing a 'fireball', while images of fire and black smoke were shared on social media after Sunday's crash.
The AAIB work includes support of police victim recovery activities, examination of the wreckage and evidence gathering.
Police are appealing to members of the public who witnessed the crash or have video footage of it to get in touch.
They are also seeking footage of any small jets – not commercial aircraft – landing at the airport on Sunday between 2.15pm and 4pm.
Information and footage can be submitted online at
