Small plane crashes at London Southend Airport shortly after take off

A small plane crashed at London Southend Airport, police said on Sunday (July 13).Essex Police said it was alerted just before 4 pm local time to the “serious incident” at the relatively small airport, which is around 45 miles (72 kilometres) east of the capital.

???? BREAKING: A small plane has crashed on departure from London Southend Airport pic.twitter.com/rpN82Bq79f

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) July 13, 2025

Images posted on social media show a plume of fire and black smoke emanating from the crash site. The plane involved is said to be 12 metres (39 feet) long.
No details on where the plane was heading or how many people were on board were immediately disclosed.

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.

— London Southend Airport (@SouthendAirport) July 13, 2025

“We are working with all emergency services at the scene now, and that work will be ongoing for several hours,” Essex Police said.

The local member of parliament, David Burton-Sampson, urged people to stay away and let the emergency services do their work.

“My thoughts are with everyone involved,” he said.