Tragedy in London: Plane Crashes Seconds After Takeoff, All Passengers Killed

On July 13, 2025, a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air operated by Dutch Zeusch Aviation crashed just seconds after taking off from London Southend Airport at around 4 p.m. local time

The aircraft banked sharply to the left during its initial climb, inverted, and plummeted nose-first into the ground, erupting in a massive fireball witnessed by onlookers nearby

Who Was On Board?

All four people aboard tragically lost their lives:

• Two Dutch pilots
• A Chilean nurse, Maria Fernanda Rojas Ortiz, on her first day
• A fourth medical professional

Maria Ortiz, a German citizen born in Chile, was remembered as kind and selfless by family and friends

Eyewitness Accounts and Visuals

Witnesses at nearby locations, including a golf course, described the horrifying scene:

• A loud bang
• A sharp bank and flip of the aircraft
• A colossal fireball upon impact
• A plume of black smoke visible miles away

Video and images shared online capture thick smoke and flames towering above the crash site .

Emergency Response and Airport Shutdown

The Essex Police, East of England Ambulance Service, and multiple fire crews arrived within minutes. An air exclusion zone and airport closure were enforced, halting all outbound and inbound flights and rerouting air traffic to nearby airports

Investigation Underway

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), Royal Air Force, and Civil Aviation Authority are conducting a thorough investigation at the scene

Flight tracking confirms callsign SUZ1 lost contact moments after takeoff

Data from Flightradar24 reveals the aircraft’s abrupt left bank and subsequent inverted descent

Expert and Public Reactions

• Authorities: Essex Police confirmed the fatalities of all four onboard, identifying them as foreign nationals
• Zeusch Aviation said:
  “Our thoughts are with everyone affected… We are cooperating fully with the investigation.”
• Eyewitnesses described the scene as chilling and surreal
• Public reaction: The crash has sparked discussions on small aircraft safety regulations and the standards for medical transport flights

What Happens Next?

• AAIB investigation: Flight recorders, onboard data, and CCTV footage will be analyzed.
• Airport reopening: Dependent on site clearance and inspection, with no set reopening date
• Safety review: Aviation regulators will likely assess small medical aircraft operations.
• Tributes and aid: Memorials are forming, including a GoFundMe campaign for Maria Ortiz’s family