Boeing 737-300 Skids on Runway in Senegal: 11 Injured
In the early hours of Thursday, a Boeing 737-300 aircraft, operating as Air Senegal’s HC 301 flight to Bamako, Mali, encountered a harrowing incident as it attempted takeoff from Dakar’s Blaise Diagne Airport. The aircraft skidded off the runway, causing injuries to at least ten individuals, with four sustaining severe wounds. Although the pilot incurred minor injuries, the majority of the 78 passengers onboard emerged unscathed from the ordeal.
Following the mishap, airport operations were temporarily suspended for several hours but have since resumed. Emergency services swiftly mobilized to evacuate passengers, as disclosed in a statement issued by the airport authorities. An investigation is currently underway to ascertain the underlying causes of the incident, which transpired around 01:00 GMT.
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Neither Boeing nor Transair, the private firm through which Air Senegal chartered the aircraft, have provided official comments on the incident. Nevertheless, this occurrence adds to the mounting concerns surrounding Boeing’s safety record. Notably, a disused door of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max exploded shortly after takeoff in the US this January, prompting a criminal investigation into the matter.
The Senegal accident coincides with revelations from a former quality inspector at Boeing’s primary supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, who alleged to the BBC that aircraft fuselages routinely left the factory with severe defects. Spirit AeroSystems vehemently refutes these allegations, stating their firm disagreement. As investigations continue, the aviation industry braces for further scrutiny amid escalating safety apprehensions surrounding Boeing aircraft.
