THE captain of the plane that crashed at Southend Airport and killed four people has been named and pictured for the first time.
The small medical aircraft corkscrewed in the air shortly after taking off from the London airport before doomed aircraft plummeted to the ground on July 13.
Captain Danny Marko Franken has been named and pictured
First Officer Floris Christian Rhee also died
UKNIPThe Beech B200 was set to travel to the Netherlands[/caption]
UnpixsThe remains of the plane following the crash[/caption]
Now, it has been reported that Captain Danny Franken, 53, and first officer Floris Rhee, 24, were two of the four who died at the scene days ago.
Mr Franken, from Harderwijk, was married with two children and also worked as a first officer for KLM on Boeing 777, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
He was described by his family in an obituary notice as a “dearest husband, cheerful caring father, wonderful son, brother, son-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle”.
The other two people onboard the plane – a female nurse and a male doctor – also died in the crash.
The nurse was named in reports as 31-year-old Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, a German national originally from Chile, and the doctor was named as German national Dr Matthias Eyl, 46.
It was also revealed she was on her first day as a “flight nurse”, according to her close friend.
The UK was rocked by the tragic air disaster on July 13 after footage showed the Beech B200 Super King Air crashing.
The plane was heading for Lelystad in the Netherlands, with an estimated departure time of 3.45pm.
The plane was returning to its base having transported a patient into the UK for treatment when tragedy struck.
Footage showed fire and black smoke billowing into the air from the crash site, while witnesses described seeing the jet “corkscrew” before erupting into a ball of flames.
Southend Airport was closed following the incident so investigations could be carried out, before reopening on July 17.
Those inquiries have been ongoing, according to the Air Accident Investigation Branch.
The plane was operated by the Netherlands-based Zeusch Aviation.
Marco Rietvelt, managing director of Zeusch Aviation, said: “Danny and Floris were not only highly skilled pilots, but also greatly valued and popular members of our team.
“Their passion for flying was matched by their dedication to their colleagues and the important missions they carried out.
“We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic loss.
“Our priority is to support the families of those lost, as well as our employees, during this incredibly difficult time.
“We are also fully committed to assisting the authorities in their ongoing investigation.”
Essex Police said two days after the tragedy on July 15 that three bodies had been recovered from the crash site.
The next day, a fourth body was recovered.
Cops have been investigating with the airline, airport, Air Accidents Investigation Branch, Royal Air Force and Essex Fire and Rescue Service.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously paid tribute to emergency responders and the four victims, tweeting: “My thoughts are with their families and loved ones.”
Go Fund MeMaria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, 31, was previously named as a victim of the deadly plane crash in Southend[/caption]
ReutersA plume of black smoke rises from an area near the runway after a small plane crash[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
