London Southend Airport reopens following fireball crash of medevac plane
July 17, 2025
London’s Southend Airport has reopened following the crash of a medevac aircraft on Sunday, 13 July. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of all four people on board.
This included a 31 year old Chilean nurse, Maria Fernanda Rojas Ortiz, who was on her first day in the job, as well as two Dutch pilots and a German doctor.
Southend partially reopened to commercial flights on 16 July, with four easyJet services landing in the evening. Today, 17 July, normal airline operations have resumed.
“London Southend Airport is today returning to full commercial operation following Sunday’s tragic air accident and subsequent closure,” an airport spokesperson tells AGN. “Our airline partners easyJet and Eastern Airways have resumed normal inbound and outbound operations.
“Our airport staff and wider team are doing all they can to help during this incredibly difficult time, and will of course be on-hand to assist passengers as we return to service,” they continued. “The understanding and kindness shown by our local community has been incredible, and we are grateful for their support.”
The Beechcraft Super King Air, operated by Zeusch Aviation, was flying to Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands.
Eyewitnesses describe seeing the aircraft take off, then banking to the left before it hit the ground and vanished a huge fireball.
Southend plane crash: How it happened
The Beechcraft B200 Super King Air carrying tail number PH-ZAZ arrived into Southend at 13:49 UTC after flying in from Pula in Croatia. It remained on the ground for around an hour.
It began its taxi to runway 05 at 14:52 UTC (15:52 local) and began its takeoff roll five minutes later.
The aircraft successfully took off, but immediately started tracking to the left. The left roll got so extreme, one eyewitness describes the aircraft as ‘flying inverted’ before nosediving into the ground.
“It started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head-first into the ground,” witness John Johnson told AP. “There was a big fireball.”
A Beech B200 Super King Air, believed to be PH-ZAZ, has crashed during takeoff from runway 05 at Southend Airport in the UK.https://t.co/LAO3xQjm8c
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) July 13, 2025
The emergency services responded immediately, with Southend Airport’s fire service at the scene within minutes. Further fire engines, ambulance and local police soon followed.
So far, there is no confirmation about who was on board. Essex Police say they expect to be working overnight and info tomorrow morning to gather information, and have set up a dedicated Major Incident Portal and telephone number: 0800 0961011.
“We are working closely with all at the scene, as well as the Air Accident Investigation Branch, to establish what has happened today and why,” says Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin.
“I fully appreciate the desire for more information in this matter,” he continues. “But it is vital for all involved that this investigation is carried out thoroughly and correctly, and to do that we will all need time.”
The medevac Beechcraft King Air and what it does
The King Air B200 is a twin-turboprop aircraft commonly used for charter, medevac, and surveillance roles. Zeusch Aviation operates a small fleet of the type, typically configured for medical flights across Europe.
The King Air involved in the accident is a 30 year old model, configured for medevac and medical transport flights. According to Zeusch Aviation, it carries a Lifeport PLUS-system, including a stretcher for a single patient.
Onboard is a suite of high tech medical equipment including compressed air, high power outlets and oxygen. Up to two clinicians can be accommodated alongside a patient.
As well as medevac, the King Air is used for transplant flights, private charters and even surveillance flights. It’s not known what the aircraft was being used for at the time of the incident.
