Transair Senegal Boeing 737-38J plane crash
Dakar, Senegal
Updated on
The Boeing 737-300 operated by Transair Senegal on behalf of Air Senegal took off from Dakar, Senegal, for a passenger flight to Bamako, Mali. 79 passengers and 6 crewmembers were onboard. The plane was accelerating for takeoff from Dakar airport when the crew rejected takeoff due to a hydraulic defect. The Boeing 737 veered left off the runway and came to a stop on soft ground. A fire broke out on the left wing but was quickly extinguished by emergency services. Emergency escape slides were deployed, enabling all occupants to evacuate. 11 individuals sustained minor injuries.
A passenger recounted that during the first takeoff attempt, the aircraft's nose lifted but quickly descended, causing the plane to slow down. Three minutes later, a second attempt was made. This time, the plane briefly lifted off but soon fell back to the ground. The witness emphasized that the plane did not merely overshoot the runway but actually fell after becoming airborne. Other passengers corroborated this account, estimating that the plane fell right after lift-off.
The plane involved in the accident made its first flight in 1994. It was fleeted out during the Pandemic, remained nearly two years in storage and was taken over by Transair Senegal in November 2023.
The Boeing 737 took off from Dakar’s runway 01, which has a length of 3500 meters.