Overview

• Senior coroner Lincoln Brooks formally opened inquests on July 31 at Essex Coroner’s Court in Chelmsford into the Southend Airport crash.
• A Home Office pathologist concluded that all four crew members died from severe traumatic head injuries.
• Captain Danny Franken, first officer Floris Rhee, Dr Matthias Eyl and nurse Maria Rojas Ortiz were identified through Interpol disaster victim protocols using dental records, DNA and personal effects.
• The inquest is set to resume on June 15, 2026, after the Air Accidents Investigation Branch completes its detailed crash investigation.
• The Beechcraft medical charter was operated by Zeusch Aviation on a flight returning to the Netherlands after transporting a patient to the UK when it crashed into the airport boundary.