The identities of two pilots who tragically lost their lives in a plane crash at Southend Airport have been revealed.
Captain Danny Marco Franken and First Officer Floris Christiaan Rhee were killed on Sunday, July 13, just moments after take-off at London Southend Airport.
Zeusch Aviation paid tribute to the pair, describing them as “highly respected and cherished colleagues”. The firm’s managing director, Marco Rietvelt, praised their popularity among their peers and their “passion” for their work.
He 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.”
Franken and Rhee were killed when the medical flight, chartered to transport a patient for treatment elsewhere in the country, crashed within the airport boundary, reports the Express.
The crash came just one month on from the tragic Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad airport in India. The flight, destined for London Heathrow with 53 British nationals on board, had only one survivor out of 242 passengers and crew.
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