It was a calm Sunday evening in Essex when a small aircraft lifted off from London Southend Airport. The sun had already dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows on the runway as the Beechcraft B200 Super King Air began its ascent. Moments later, that ordinary departure turned into an unspeakable tragedy.
Four people aboard the aircraft lost their lives when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff and burst into flames, authorities confirmed on Monday.
While the investigation is ongoing, what we know so far paints the picture of a flight that was almost home—but never made it.
A Routine Journey With an Unimaginable End