Four die in crash of Dutch plane near London Southend airport

Four people died Sunday when a small Dutch plane crashed near London Southend Airport, British police confirmed. Authorities believe all four occupants were foreign nationals, though their identities have not yet been released.

The aircraft, operated by Dutch company Zeusch Aviation, was en route to Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands when it went down and exploded shortly after 4 p.m. The plane was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air.

The British Air Accidents Investigation Branch is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Dutch Safety Board (OVV). The OVV spokesperson told the Dutch news agency ANP that while no Dutch investigators will be sent to the crash site, they will support the British authorities with any questions.

Witnesses described the moments before the crash as surreal. Plane spotter Johnson, who was watching with his 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, told RTL the pilots waved to spectators as the plane taxied past the airport fence. “Both pilots waved politely to the families watching from outside the fence. For us plane spotters, and especially for the children, that’s really nice. You bond with each other for that moment.”

Minutes later, the plane made an unusual left bank shortly after takeoff, according to Johnson. “That’s a lot faster than usual. Normally, they gain altitude before turning, but now it was only about 100 meters. The left bank continued, and the plane lost more and more altitude until it nose-dived into the ground and exploded. It must have been 600 meters away from us, still inside the airport fence.”

The crash caused an enormous fireball, leaving witnesses shocked. “My son is a plane fanatic; this is even his favorite plane. Then you suddenly see it go wrong… that enormous blaze… everyone was in shock. You could hear everyone gasping for breath. People were screaming.”