DAKAR, Senegal – A Boeing 737-300 aircraft carrying 85 passengers veered off the runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, causing injuries to 10 individuals, as reported by the transport minister and an airline safety organization. The incident, captured on video by a passenger, depicted the plane ablaze with passengers evacuating via emergency slides as screams filled the air.
According to Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye, the Air Sénégal flight, operated by TransAir, was en route to Bamako, Mali, with 79 passengers, two pilots, and four cabin crew. The airport reopened the following morning after being closed overnight, with the injured individuals receiving treatment at a local hospital while the rest were accommodated at a hotel. Boeing did not immediately provide a comment, redirecting inquiries to the airlines.
This marked the third aviation mishap involving Boeing aircraft within a week. Meanwhile, in Turkey, 190 passengers were safely evacuated from a plane after one of its tires burst during landing at a southern airport, according to Turkey’s transportation ministry. The company has faced heightened scrutiny following incidents such as a door plug blowing out from a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight, leading to a sizable hole in the plane.
The authorities have given Boeing a 90-day deadline to address quality issues and adhere to safety standards for aircraft construction post the accident. Concerns over Boeing’s practices have intensified following two fatal crashes involving Boeing 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the loss of 346 lives. Several relatives of victims are calling on the U.S. government to pursue criminal fraud charges against Boeing by alleging violations of a 2021 settlement agreement.
In a separate testimony before Congress, a Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, highlighted manufacturing shortcuts taken by the company to hasten the production of 787s, potentially compromising the integrity of the aircraft. The Aviation Safety Network identified the plane involved in the Senegal incident as a Boeing 737-38J, sharing images of the damaged aircraft surrounded by fire suppressant foam. Notably, one engine appeared to have shattered, while a wing displayed visible damage in the photographs. The ASN operates under the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit organization striving to ensure aviation safety and monitor accidents.