The two pilots killed in a fatal crash at Southend Airport have been named as Captain Danny Marco Franken and First Officer Floris Christiaan Rhee.
Zeusch Aviation described them as “both highly respected and cherished colleagues”.
The medical flight, a chartered Beech B200 Super King aircraft, was departing the Essex Airport for the Netherlands on Sunday when it crashed close to the runway moments after take-off.
The aircraft was pictured engulfed in flames in a "fireball" close to the runway following the crash, as a plume of black smoke erupted from the crash site.
Essex Police confirmed four people – thought to be two pilots and two passengers – were killed in the incident.
The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend.
It was due to return to Lelystad on Sunday evening.
Mr Johnson, from Billericay, told the PA news agency: “We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us.“The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take-off, departure, powered up, rolled down the runway.
A father who was planespotting with his one-year-old daughter has shared how he saw the plane “violently” crash.
Ben Guppy, 34, said his wife was left “pretty much in tears” after witnessing the disaster.
“[The pilot] corkscrewed upside down into the floor, the plane was only in the air for seconds,” he told the MailOnline.
“I looked at it and the fireball went up, there was fire and smoke everywhere. Luckily my daughter was facing the other way."He said he had a lump in his throat and goosebumps as he drove home.
A bartender at Rochford Hundred Golf Club, which is next door to Southend Airport, said he felt a “big heat wave” before looking up to a “massive fireball” in the sky.
