Two Boeing 737 passenger planes were involved in accidents within a matter of hours on May 9, with one plane’s tire bursting during landing in Turkey, while another plane skidded off the runway in Senegal.
Amidst a string of setbacks, a Boeing 737 aircraft, with 85 people aboard, skidded off the runway in Senegal’s capital, Dakar on May 9, resulting in injuries to 10 individuals.
Footage shared by a passenger showed the harrowing scene as flames engulfed one side of the aircraft, prompting passengers to evacuate through emergency slides.
Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye confirmed that the Air Senegal flight operated by TransAir was en route to Bamako, Mali, with 79 passengers, two pilots, and four cabin crew. The injured received medical attention at a hospital, while the rest were accommodated in a hotel for rest.
In a separate incident in Turkey, a Boeing 737-800, operated by Corendon Airlines, experienced a tire burst during landing at Gazipasa airport near Alanya.
Despite the tire burst, all 190 passengers and crew were safely evacuated, with no reported injuries. The aircraft, arriving from Cologne, Germany, managed to land safely on the runway before being removed, causing no damage to the airstrip.
Flights were diverted to Antalya airport while the situation was resolved, marking the second incident at a Turkish airport within two days.
11 injured as Air Senegal Boeing 737-300 skids off runway
An Air Senegal flight operated by TransAir’s Boeing 737-300 veered off the runway at Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft and injuries to at least 11 individuals on board.
The incident occurred during takeoff, prompting a temporary closure of the airport.
Senegal’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport reported the incident, indicating that it happened on May 9, at approximately 01:14 local time. The aircraft, carrying 85 people, was bound for Bamako, Mali, and was forced to abort takeoff due to a hydraulic defect.
Despite evacuation efforts by airport emergency services, the incident left several passengers injured, with investigations underway by the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis (BEA) to determine the cause.
Boeing cargo plane lands on nose in Istanbul after landing gear fails
A FedEx Airlines Boeing 767 cargo aircraft, on May 8, experienced a landing gear failure upon landing at Istanbul Airport which resulted in the aircraft touching down without its front landing gear, according to a Turkish Transport Ministry official.
Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, and authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter.
The aircraft, arriving from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, communicated with the control tower in Istanbul regarding the malfunctioning landing gear. With guidance from the tower, the plane managed to land on the runway safely, as stated in a ministry release.
Although airport rescue and firefighting teams were deployed before the landing, there were no injuries reported. The ministry did not disclose the cause of the landing gear failure.