Senegal

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Tambacounda - Dakar

MSN:

1769

YOM:

1979

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The departure was delayed due to overbooking. Passengers and crew were nervous and few passengers should disembark. Following a normal takeoff roll, the pilot-in-command started the rotation. About 30 seconds later, while climbing to a height of about 100 feet, the left engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed less than 100 metres past the runway end, bursting into flames. The aircraft broke in two and most of the survivors were found in the rear part of the cabin while the front one disintegrated on impact. Twenty-nine people survived while 23 others, including all three crew members, were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined and the official accident report was not published by the Senegal Government. Nevertheless, The determination of the causes of the accident is therefore based on the expert reports ordered by the French investigating magistrate and the position of the locking pin of the left supply valve observed after the accident. Experts conclude that the left engine has stopped due to the closing of the fuel supply valve. The poor quality of the fuel was also blamed, which, before the accident, led Air Senegal to ask a chemical engineer from Shell-Senegal to test the fuel and the refueling operations. The engineer, while noting the poor quality of the fuel, came to the same conclusions as the experts. In France, operational tests were carried out on a similar aircraft and, moreover, fuel analyzes were carried out by the Accident Investigation Bureau. To these different expertises were added those of the government of the United Kingdom, the country of the manufacturer of the aircraft, and the results of a test carried out by British Aerospace with the same aircraft. The various analyzes carried out on the drums used for refueling showed that water was not present in the drums but in the pump used for refueling. It appears that the pump had been disassembled and the filters removed before filling the aircraft's tanks. As a result, the tiny amount of water that could have been found in the tanks would not have allowed the fuel to be considered contaminated and therefore unfit for consumption. The court, considering itself sufficiently informed by all these expertises, refused to grant the civil parties a further investigation 12 years after the facts. For the magistrates, there is no doubt that the determining cause of the accident was the closure of the left fuel isolation valve. The various investigations finally made it possible to determine that a ground mechanic had carried out a technical intervention under the left wing before the departure, at the level of the engine, but the exact nature of this intervention could not be established with precision. In its judgment, the court recognized that various indirect causes may have played a role in the occurrence of this air disaster: anomalies in the storage and distribution of fuel, nervousness and intense stress generated around the aircraft due to overbooking, irritability of the captain who, impatient to take off, did not consider certain checks useful. However, the magistrates have ruled, the determining cause perfectly defined by the various experts is the closing of the isolation valve of the left engine of the aircraft. On May 14, 2009, more than 12 years after the incident, Senegalese mechanic Moustapha Diagne was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment with a 15-month suspended sentence. The length of the firm prison sentence is the length of the pre-trial detention that the defendant, after being extradited, had already served.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo off Mbour: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 29, 1995

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31-310 Navajo

Operator:

Registration:

6V-AGH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Dakar - Mbour

MSN:

31-205

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Forty minutes into the flight from Dakar to Mbour, the crew informed ATC that an engine failed and was cleared to descent to 4,000 feet. Shortly later, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed in shallow water about 500 metres off Mbour. Four passengers were rescued while six others occupants, including both pilots, were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure for unknown reasons. Nevertheless, it was also reported that the crew experience on this type of aircraft was limited.

Crash of a NAMC YS-11A-117 in Dakar

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1993 at 1839 LT

Type of aircraft:

NAMC YS-11

Operator:

Gambia Airways

Registration:

C5-GAA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

Schedule:

Dakar - Banjul

MSN:

2030

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Saint Louis, a Twin Otter operated by Air Sénégal was cleared to descend to Dakar-Yoff Airport and was instructed to maintain 3,000 feet over YF VOR. At the same time, the NAMC YS-11 departed Dakar-Yoff Airport on a regular schedule flight to Banjul. Registered C5-GAA, the aircraft was carrying 34 passengers and a crew of four. Its pilots were instructed to climb via radial 140 and maintain the altitude of 2,000 feet while over YF VOR. When both aircraft reached the YF VOR, they collided. While the crew of the NAMC was able to return to Dakar and land safely despite the left wing was partially torn off, the Twin Otter entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the sea few km offshore. All three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that both crew failed to respect their assigned altitude, causing both aircraft to collide. At the time of the accident, the Twin Otter was about 100-300 feet too low and the NAMC was about 700-900 feet too high.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 off Dakar: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1993 at 1839 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6V-ADE

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Saint-Louis - Dakar

MSN:

393

YOM:

1973

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Saint Louis, the crew was cleared to descend to Dakar-Yoff Airport and was instructed to maintain 3,000 feet over YF VOR. At the same time, a NAMC YS-11A-117 operated by Gambia Airways departed Dakar-Yoff Airport on a regular schedule flight to Banjul. Registered C5-GAA, the aircraft was carrying 34 passengers and a crew of four. Its pilots were instructed to climb via radial 140 and maintain the altitude of 2,000 feet while over YF VOR. When both aircraft reached the YF VOR, they collided. While the crew of the NAMC was able to return to Dakar and land safely despite the left wing was partially torn off, the Twin Otter entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the sea few km offshore. All three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Crash of a Convair CV-640 in Kafountine: 31 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1992 at 0515 LT

Type of aircraft:

Convair CV-640

Operator:

Gambcrest

Registration:

N862FW

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Dakar - Cap Skirring

MSN:

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a charter flight from Dakar to Cap Skirring on behalf of the Club Mediterranée, carrying 53 tourists from France, Belgium and Switzerland and six crew members. By night, the crew started the descent prematurely when the aircraft struck trees and crashed in a swampy area located south of Kafountine, about 52 km north of Cap Skirring Airport runway 14. The aircraft was destroyed and 31 occupants were killed, among them all six crew members. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were good. Built in 1952, the aircraft was owned by a Gambian company near bankrupt and insurance bills have not been paid. Among the crew were one Russian stewardess, an American captain aged 67 and a Norwegian copilot aged 31. The were not familiar with the region and the aircraft was not maintain according to published procedures as at least 16 instruments were out of order at the time of the accident, among them one altimeter. The aircraft was operated illegally under the registration of its ex operator as the Gambian owner company failed to proceed to the official deregistration / re-registration of the aircraft. Thus the aircraft was not compliant with regulations in force.

Probable cause:

By night, the crew mistook the blue lights of an hotel for the approach lights of Cap Skirring Airport and initiated the approach and landing when the aircraft crashed 52 km north of the intended destination. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight planning,
- Poor planned approach,
- Poor crew coordination,
- The crew was not familiar with the area,
- Poor general state of the aircraft.

Crash of a Douglas DC-7C in Dakar: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1986

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-7

Operator:

Registration:

N5903

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo

Schedule:

Dakar - Dakar

MSN:

45071

YOM:

1956

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft was engaged in a locust spraying mission in Senegal on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development. It was carrying one passenger, three crew members and a load of pesticides. Shortly after takeoff from Dakar-Yoff Airport, while in initial climb, white smoke was coming from the engine n°3 while the engine n°4 fire alarm sounded. The engine n°4 was shut down and its propeller was feathered when the aircraft lost height and crashed, bursting into flames. The passenger was seriously injured while all three crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine problems for unknown reasons.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-5D Buffalo off Dakar: 12 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1979 at 1010 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

5T-MAX

Flight Phase:

Niokolo Koba National Park

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Dakar - Nouakchott

MSN:

YOM:

1978

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from Dakar-Yoff Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea few km offshore. All 12 occupants were killed, among them Ahmed Ould Bousseif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The pilot was captain N'Diaye N'Diak, Chief of the Atar Airbase.

Crash of a Nord 2501 Noratlas in the Niokolo Koba National Park: 9 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1967

Type of aircraft:

Nord 2501 Noratlas

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Humanitarian

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Dakar - Kédougou

MSN:

YOM:

1955

Location:

Kédougou Region

Country:

Senegal

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a humanitarian flight from Dakar to Kédougou on behalf of the Escadron de Transport 01/061 Touraine with dual registration 74 (61-NZ). While cruising at very low height, the airplane struck the ground with one of its wingtip and crashed in the Niokolo Koba National Park. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cdt Jean Devilliers, pilot,
Lt Jean-François Aillerie, copilot,
Sgt Biar,
Sgt Lamarche,
Adj Janon,
Sgt Alix,
S/Lt Joseph Balocco.
Passengers:
Cdt Job,
Mr. Antoine, chaplain.

Crash of a Grumman JRF-5 Goose in Tambacounda: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Grumman G-21A Goose

Operator:

Registration:

27.F-12

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site: