Arrr matey, the Boeing 737 be aflame and slidin' off the runway at Senegal's port o' call!
2024-05-09
Arrr, me hearties! A mighty vessel known as the Boeing 737-300 of Air Sénégal, with a crew of 85 souls aboard, be catchin' fire and slidin' off course at the main port o' the African nation, just a stone's throw away from Dakar. Aye, a wild ride indeed!
In a harrowing incident at Senegal's main airport near Dakar, a Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people caught fire and skidded off the runway, resulting in ten injuries including the pilot. Passengers described scenes of chaos and panic as they evacuated the burning aircraft after it crashed while en route to Bamako, Mali. Some passengers recounted jumping down emergency slides as flames engulfed one side of the plane, with screams filling the air.One passenger, Cheick Siriman Sissoko, captured the ordeal on his phone, reflecting on the moment his life flashed before his eyes. Another passenger, Ibrahim Diallo, recalled the pilot's failed attempt to take off earlier that night before smoke emerged from one of the wings during a second attempt.The incident adds to a series of challenges for Boeing, which has been under scrutiny since the 2018 and 2019 crashes involving the 737 Max jets that claimed 346 lives. A recent whistleblower testimony highlighted manufacturing shortcuts that could compromise safety, while the company faces pressure to address quality issues in its fleet operations.The Aviation Safety Network identified the aircraft involved in the Senegal crash as a Boeing 737-38J from the 1990s, underscoring the importance of maintaining safe air travel standards amidst ongoing challenges in the aviation industry.