UK air accident investigators have reconstructed the first seconds of the final flight of Beech B200 Super King Air PH-ZAZ, one year after the aircraft crashed at London Southend Airport and killed all four people on board.
In an anniversary update, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the aircraft yawed slightly to the left before rotating from Runway 05 on July 13, 2025. After becoming airborne, it immediately moved left of the runway centerline while entering a climbing left turn.
The King Air reached only about 70 to 80 feet above runway level. It turned through approximately 90 degrees before descending and striking the ground inside the airport boundary, where an intense post-crash fire followed.
Flightpath rebuilt from video, CCTV and ADS-B data
PH-ZAZ was not required to carry either a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder. To establish the aircraft’s path, investigators combined witness video, airport CCTV and Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast data.
The AAIB said the impact and fire left only limited physical evidence available for examination. Despite that damage, the investigation has continued to analyze aircraft systems, maintenance information, operational records and other evidence connected with the flight.
The latest statement adds important detail to the publicly established sequence of events. It does not, however, identify why the aircraft departed from its intended flightpath.
Investigation considers multiple categories of evidence
Investigators are examining technical, operational, human and organizational factors. Specialist advisers and representatives from relevant manufacturers are assisting the inquiry under the AAIB’s direction.
That breadth matters because a reconstructed trajectory shows what happened, but does not by itself establish the underlying cause. The agency has not announced a conclusion and its final report has not yet been published.
Early descriptions of the accident prompted intense attention because of the rapid left turn shortly after takeoff and the scale of the fire. The anniversary update provides a more precise official account, while leaving the central question unresolved.
Why the anniversary update matters
The new reconstruction narrows the known timeline to a matter of seconds: a slight yaw before rotation, an immediate deviation after liftoff, a low climbing turn and then a descent from less than 100 feet.
For aviation professionals and the public, the distinction between confirmed flightpath evidence and a future causal finding is critical. Until the AAIB completes its work, any explanation for the loss of control would be speculation.
The final report is expected to set out the evidence, analysis, conclusions and any safety recommendations arising from the investigation. No publication date has been announced.
Featured image: PH-ZAZ at Birmingham Airport on June 22, 2025. Photo by Alec Wilson via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. File photo taken before the accident.
