Southend airport plane crashes: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air was involved UK plane crash. How costly is it?

A plane operated by the Netherlands' Zeusch Aviation crashed shortly after take-off on Sunday at London Southend Airport. The airport was closed until further notice as multiple eyewitnesses claimed that the plane was nothing short of a "fireball" following the impact. British media could provide no information on any casualties caused by the plane crash. Images widely shared on social media showed dark smoke and a plume of fire emanating from the crash site.

 

According to Zeusch Aviation, the aircraft involved in the crash was its SUZ1 flight, which had flown from Athens, Greece, to Pula, Croatia, on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was due to return to Lelystad, Netherlands, on Sunday evening. Essex Police said they were alerted just before 4 p.m. to the "serious incident" at the airport. A witness reported that the plane reportedly got into position for take-off, and he and his family waved at the pilots, who all waved back.

Beechcraft's 'King Air' planes

British media said the crash involved a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air equipped with medical systems for transporting patients. It was a turboprop aircraft 12 metres (39 feet) long.

 

London Southend is a relatively small airport, around 45 miles (72 kilometres) east of the capital. All flights to and from the airport were cancelled until further notice, while police, emergency services and air investigators worked at the scene.

 

US-built Beechcraft B200 Super King Air aircraft can accommodate more than 20 people. These jet turbine-equipped small aircraft are often used as air ambulances for medical evacuation, as well as for "short-haul charter flights and for carrying light freight." They also have luxury varieties with leather interiors that offer a comfortable eight-seat journey for passengers. The company claims it to be "the most popular business turboprop in the world."

 

The Model 200 and Model 300 series were originally marketed as the "Super King Air" family by Beechcraft, according to Wikipedia. The company's official website introduces three models: King Air 360ER, King Air 360, and King Air 260. However, these modern models had a maximum occupancy of 15, 11, and 9 respectively.

 

The King Air 260 was introduced in December 2020 as an update to the 200 series, featuring an improved autothrottle and a Multi-Scan weather radar. It boasted a range of 1,720 nautical miles (3,190 km) and a top cruise speed of 310 knots (570 km/h), accommodating up to nine passengers.

Beech B200 Super King Air: Specefications and cost

This aircraft had a wingspan of 57 feet 11 inches (17.65 metres), a length of 43 feet 10 inches (13.36 metres), and a height of 15 feet 0 inches (4.57 metres). Its maximum take-off weight was 12,500 pounds (5,670 kg), with a basic operating weight of 8,830 pounds (4,005 kg) and a useful load of 3,760 pounds (1,706 kg). The powerplant consisted of two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 engines, each with an output of 850 shaft horsepower (634 kW). It had a take-off distance of 2,111 feet (643 metres) and a max operating altitude of 35,000 feet (10,668 metres), the company brochure claimed.

 

The King Air 260 received FAA certification in March 2021 and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in September 2021. Deliveries of the King Air 260 began in early 2021, and as of 2023, its equipped price was $7.78 million.

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