Four foreign nationals died in airport plane crash

A woman who was killed when a small plane crashed at London Southend Airport was on her first day as a "flight nurse", the BBC understands.

Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, 31, was a German citizen born in Chile and had previously worked as a nurse in the public sector.

A Dutch pilot and co-pilot were also among the four people killed when a Beech B200 Super King Air crashed and exploded on Sunday afternoon.

The plane was operated by Zeusch Aviation, which specialises in medical evacuations and is based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, and has confirmed it is "actively supporting the authorities with the investigation".

Ms Rojaz Ortizs friend Anna Smith told the BBC that she had got married in February 2024 and was the "kindest soul".

"She had a giving heart and was humble, and chose a profession that reflected that.

"She was so excited for this new job – it was her first day," she said.

Friends have set up a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money to repatriate her remains to Chile, so she can be buried next to her father.

"She was just lovely. She was outgoing. She was fun. She wanted so much more with her life.

"Everyone is just struggling at the moment. We cant believe this is real," said Ms Smith.

The names of the four who died have not yet been officially released.

Ch Supt Morgan Cronin from Essex Police said the victims would be "treated with the utmost respect and dignity".

Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to those affected in a message on X, formerly Twitter.

The Prime Minister wrote: "Terrible news that four people tragically lost their lives in yesterdays plane crash at Southend Airport. My thoughts are with their families and loved ones.

"I also want to thank all the emergency responders who attended the scene."

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site.

All flights to and from the airport on Monday have been rerouted, with passengers advised to check with their airline for advice.

The aircraft had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was due to return to Lelystad on Sunday evening.

BBC reporter Sofia Bettiza has been at the headquarters of Zeusch Aviation – a privately owned company operating 14 aircraft.

"This is a small airport in the Netherlands. And today, it is almost deserted.

"We just saw airport security staff lowering the Dutch flag to half mast at the entrance of the airport.

"Zeusch specialises in medical evacuation flights, private charters, and aerial filming for various events.

"We were able to speak to a pilot from another airline. He told us hes worried that one of his colleagues may be among the victims, as many of the staff here know one another."

Detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the Royal Air Force, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to work out what happened.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Lisa Fitzsimons, a senior inspector at the AAIB, said it was "too early to speculate on what caused this tragic accident".

"If there are safety lessons that can be learned, we will make recommendations that will aim to prevent a similar accident occurring," she said.

Eight of its inspectors are now at the crash site.

John Johnson, 40, from Billericay, Essex, witnessed the crash while watching planes with his wife and children.

"You could see [the pilots] smiling and we all kind of smiled back.

"It took off in probably three or four seconds. It started to bank heavily to its left," he told the BBC.

Then within a few seconds, "the aircraft almost inverted and hit the ground. There was a huge fireball," he said.

A London Southend Airport spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with those affected by [Sundays] events and all passengers impacted by this disruption.

"We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments."

With additional reporting by David Freezer

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