Southend Plane Crash: London Airport Shut Indefinitely After Small Aircraft Crashes Minutes After Take-Off
Southend Airport Plane Crash Live Updates: The passenger plane is reportedly a Beechcraft King Air B200 that was leaving the airport for Lelystad in the Netherlands
A small aircraft crashed at London Southend Airport on Sunday afternoon, prompting a major emergency response. Police said they were called just before 4 pm after the 12-metre plane went down at the airport, located on England’s southeast coast. The number of people on board is not yet known. Fire crews and ambulances remain at the scene. Flights have been cancelled as authorities investigate.
Emergency response : Emergency crews arrived at the scene soon after the crash was reported. The East of England Ambulance Service said it sent four ambulances along with several other emergency response vehicles. Fire services were also involved in the response.
Following the crash, the airport’s website showed that at least five international flights were cancelled. There was no immediate statement from airport authorities about whether operations would resume later in the evening. Investigations into the cause of the crash are expected to continue, with police and aviation officials likely to assess the scene in the coming hours.
The plane, believed to be a private light aircraft with two people onboard, had just departed from the runway at approximately 9:12 AM local time, when it reportedly experienced technical difficulties mid-air. Within minutes, it lost altitude and crashed near the airport’s perimeter, causing a fireball visible from nearby residential areas.
Emergency services were immediately deployed, and both Essex Police and the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that response teams were on the scene within minutes of the crash. Initial unconfirmed reports suggest one fatality and one critically injured survivor, although the full extent of casualties is still being assessed.
London Southend Airport, located in Essex approximately 40 miles east of Central London, has suspended all incoming and outgoing flights until further notice. Airport officials stated in a press briefing that the decision was made to ensure public safety and allow emergency services unrestricted access to the site.
“We regret to inform passengers that all flight operations are currently halted. Safety is our utmost priority, and the airport will remain closed until a full investigation and site clearance are completed,” said Mark Cottle, Southend Airport’s Chief Operating Officer.
Hundreds of travelers were stranded as flights were diverted or delayed, and airlines including easyJet and Ryanair, which operate regular routes from Southend, issued advisories for passengers to check flight status before arriving at the airport
The crash site is located in a wooded area near the airport’s southeastern boundary, just beyond the main runway. While the aircraft narrowly avoided densely populated neighborhoods, residents in the nearby area of Rochford reported hearing a loud explosion followed by smoke billowing from the tree line.
“It sounded like a bomb went off. I ran outside and saw a fireball rise behind the trees,” said Lisa Hammond, a local resident who lives just 500 meters from the crash site.
Eyewitnesses also described seeing the aircraft wobble mid-air before nosediving toward the ground. “It was climbing normally, then suddenly veered to one side and went down,” said an airport staff member who wished to remain anonymous.
The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service deployed multiple fire engines and aerial ladder platforms to contain the blaze, which had engulfed the wreckage and set off smaller fires in surrounding brush. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames within an hour.
Meanwhile, paramedics from East of England Ambulance Service worked alongside search-and-rescue teams to extract the pilot and passenger from the wreckage. One occupant, believed to be the co-pilot, was declared dead on the scene, while the pilot was airlifted to Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in critical condition.“Our teams are working tirelessly to ensure the area is secure and to support ongoing rescue and recovery operations,” said an Essex Fire Service spokesperson.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Initial probes will focus on:
- Technical malfunctions or mechanical failure
- Flight path data from radar and air traffic control
- Weather conditions at the time of departure
- Pilot’s flight history and recent maintenance records of the aircraft
The aircraft involved is believed to be a Piper PA-28, a single-engine light aircraft often used for private training and short business flights. Flight records indicate the aircraft had been registered to a private aviation firm based in Essex and was on a routine flight to Bournemouth Airport.
The AAIB has secured the black box (flight data and cockpit voice recorder), which will be analyzed over the coming days. A preliminary report is expected within a week, though full findings may take several months.
As a result of the closure, at least 22 domestic and international flights scheduled to depart or land at Southend have been canceled or redirected. Passengers faced chaotic scenes inside the terminal as announcements about the crash trickled through.
“We were just about to board when the screens went blank. Then we saw emergency vehicles rushing past the runway,” said David Wilcox, a passenger traveling to Amsterdam.
Many travelers were redirected to Stansted or Heathrow and provided with ground transportation. Some flights were postponed, while others were rebooked for the following day.
Local MP Anna Firth issued a statement expressing her condolences to the victim’s family and called for a “full and transparent investigation.” She also praised the first responders for their swift action and urged the government to review safety protocols for small aircraft operating in and around London.
Aviation safety advocates have also used the incident to highlight the risks associated with smaller, privately operated aircraft, which often operate outside the rigorous checks mandated for commercial airliners.
Crash Time: ~9:12 AM BST
Aircraft: Piper PA-28 (unconfirmed)
Passengers: 2
Casualties: 1 dead, 1 critical
Airport Status: Closed indefinitely
Investigation: Underway by AAIB
Flights Affected: 22+
Eyewitness Reports: Confirmed mid-air trouble before crash
