A airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from London Southend Airport on Saturday, bursting into a massive fireball that witnesses described as a terrifying midair explosion.
Dramatic videos and images of the wreckage have since flooded social media, prompting a wave of concern and speculation.
The aircraft involved was identified as a Beechcraft B200, a twin-engine turboprop often used for small charter flights. According to early reports from The Metro, the flight was en route to Lelystad in the Netherlands before disaster struck.
JUST IN: A Super King Air aircraft has crashed shortly after takeoff from London Southend Airport. pic.twitter.com/NJkeVAOk2z
— Resist Times (@resistupdates) July 13, 2025
Eyewitnesses near the airport reported seeing the plane climb into the sky before suddenly becoming engulfed in flames. One witness told local media the aircraft “just turned into a fireball” seconds after lifting off the runway. Cell phone footage posted online shows thick black smoke rising from the crash site as emergency crews race to respond.
Essex Police confirmed the incident in an official statement released around 4 p.m. local time. “We remain on the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport,” authorities said. “We were alerted shortly before 4