Aircraft crashes moments after take-off erupting into a fireball

A small plane has 'nosedived' and crashed after takeoff from London Southend Airport, exploding into a huge fireball in front of horrified families. The 40ft-long Beech B200 aircraft was heading from the Essex airport to the Netherlands but reached just 175ft before crashing just yards from the runway.

Footage has been circulating on social media of a black plume of smoke billowing into the sky, with one clip showing passengers boarding another flight close by. The flight to Lelystad, east of Amsterdam, was scheduled to take off at 3.45pm but took off ten minutes late, according to Flightradar.

It is unclear how many people were onboard but the twin-engined turboprop plane, believed to be 31 years old, can fit up to 12 passengers and the pilots were seen waving to children as the plane was taxiing. Essex police, ambulances and fire engines are all at the scene. Residents are being advised to stay away from the area and several EasyJet flights from Southend have been cancelled.

Families have been left distraught after seeing the traumatising crash, including John Johnson who was at the airport with his family when they saw the plane crash 'headfirst into the ground' and explode into a 'big fireball'. The father said: 'We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. About three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed.'

One shaken mother who was watching the planes take off from a Holiday Inn viewing deck with her daughter told Metro: 'It was honestly a surreal experience. The plane took off, then around 50 meters it sort of kicked to the left, then around 100 meters it abruptly banked to the left. With that, it basically descended down headfirst and just burst into flames as it hit the ground... It didn't look like there was time to bail out.'

The Zeutch Aviation plane appears to have taken off in a northeasterly direction at about 120mph and reached around 175ft, according to Flightradar, but data indicates it slowed after leaving the ground and turning to the north. The plane, which is often used for mapping and for medivac journeys, had completed two trips that day, one from Athens in Greece to Pula in Croatia and then from Pula to Southend, landing in the UK at 2.51pm.

A bartender at Rochford Hundred Golf Club, which is next door to Southend Airport, said he felt a 'big heat wave' before looking up to a 'massive fireball' in the sky. However, the chairman of Westcliff Rugby Club, which is near Southend Airport, said people at the club did not end up having to evacuate following the plane crash, despite initial reports. Pete Jones said: 'That didn't happen in the end. (Police) changed their mind.'

London Southend Airport said: 'We can confirm there has been a serious incident at London Southend Airport this afternoon involving a general aviation aircraft. We are working closely with the local authorities and will be able to provide more information as soon as possible.' Essex Police said: 'We remain on the scene of a serious incident at Southend Airport. We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane.'