Essex police reported that the 12-meter aircraft crashed at 4 PM on 13/7 after taking off from London Southend Airport in Southend-on-Sea, east of London. The number of people on board and their condition are unknown.
London Southend Airport announced its closure due to a "serious incident" until further notice. Passengers scheduled to arrive or depart from the airport are advised to contact their airlines for more information.
According to British media, the aircraft was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, equipped for medical transport. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reported the plane was en route to Lelystad, Netherlands.
Airport witness John Johnson said the pilots waved to his family as the plane taxied to the runway. "We waved back. The plane moved into takeoff position and turned. It accelerated past us and lifted off, but banked sharply to the left after a few seconds, almost inverted, then crashed. A large fireball erupted," he recounted.
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A fireball erupts after a plane crash at London Southend Airport, UK on 13/7. _Photo: Sky News_ |
The Beechcraft B200 is a utility aircraft in production since 1974. It is a twin-turboprop aircraft with a maximum speed of over 570 km/h and a range of nearly 3,200 km.
The aircraft has a crew of one or two and can carry 10 passengers. It serves government, military, and specialized operations such as aerial surveys, air ambulance services, inspection, and surveillance. The manufacturer also developed the Beechcraft 1900, a short-haul passenger aircraft based on the B200.
Nguyen Tien (_CNN, Sky News, AFP_)
