Dakar-Yoff

The airplane departed Ouagadougou Airport at the end of the afternoon on an ambulance flight to Dakar-Léopold Sédar Senghor Airport with one patient, one doctor, two nurses and three crew members on board. After entering in contact with Dakar Control, the crew was cleared to FL340, an altitude that was confirmed by the crew at 1801LT. But the airplane continued and climbed to FL350. At 1812LT, the aircraft collided with a Boeing 737-8FB operated by Ceiba Intercontinental. Registered 3C-LLY, the B737 was operating the flight CEL071 Dakar - Cotonou - Malabo with 104 passengers and 8 crew members on board. Immediately after the collision, the BAe 125 entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean about 111 km off Dakar. The pilot of the Boeing 737 informed ATC about a possible collision and continued to Malabo without further problem. Nevertheless, the top of the right winglet of the Boeing 737 was missing. SAR operations were suspended after a week and no trace of the BAe 125 nor the 7 occupants was ever found.

The aircraft departed Nouakchott in he evening of July 27 on a regular schedule service to Conakry with an intermediate stop in Dakar, carrying 91 passengers and a crew of six. Following an uneventful flight from Dakar, the crew started a night approach to Conakry-Gbessia Airport. After touchdown on a wet runway (due to recent rain falls), the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, collided with the ILS antenna and some approach lights, lost its nose gear and came to rest 500 metres further. Ten passengers were injured while all 87 other occupants escaped unhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft took off from Brussels airport at 15:00 UTC. Upon rotation, the crew heard an abnormal noise, and had difficulties to get the aircraft in the air. After adjusting the engine power, the aircraft took off. Observers on the ground saw two white clouds appearing successively under the tail of the aircraft upon rotation, followed by flames. The inspection of the runway revealed that parts separated from the aircraft, amongst which the APU access door. The aircraft dumped the excess of fuel and landed back in Brussels at 16.20 UTC. Inspection on the ground revealed that large portions of the underside skin of the tail section were missing.

While taxiing for departure at Dakar-Yoff Airport, the left main gear unsafe alarm came on in the cockpit panel. The captain decided to return to the apron to proceed to an inspection when the left main gear collapsed. The engine n°1 struck the ground and partially torn off. A fire erupted and quickly spread to the left wing. All 182 occupants evacuated safely but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair. It just came out from a C Check maintenance program.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The four engine airplane departed Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport on a regular schedule service to Freetown with an intermediate stop in Dakar. After takeoff from runway 24R at Sheremetyevo Airport, while in initial climb, the crew raised the landing gear. Eight seconds later, the fire alarm for engine n°1 sounded. The crew shut down the engine in accordance with the Flight Manual and used the three stages of fire suppression systems. Thirty seconds later, the fire alarm coupled to the engine n°2 sounded as well. The same procedure was adopted for the second engine and the crew declared an emergency. At a speed of 320 km/h and a height of 160 meters with the undercarriage retracted and the flaps down at 30°, the pilot-in-command initiated a right turn. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain a safe altitude and the airplane lost speed and height while in a high angle of attack. From a height of 75 meters, the airplane stalled, banked left to 70° then nosed down 20° and crashed in a wooded area located in Mendeleyevo, about 11,4 km northwest of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 90 occupants were killed.

Flight 527 was cleared for a No.16 departure by ground control and was instructed to make a right turn after takeoff, heading the Caxias VOR, climbing to and maintaining 2000 feet. The aircraft took off from runway 27 at 21:27. Approach control then asked the crew to increase their speed. The speed increased progressively to 304 knots, exceeding the 250 knots maximum speed inside the terminal control area below 10000 feet. While Flight 527 was flying towards mountainous terrain and increasing its speed (in the north sector of the radar scope), the controller was busy vectoring an excessive amount of traffic in the south sector. The assistant departure controller failed to monitor the traffic. When the controller turned his attention to LH527 again, he was surprised by the position of the aircraft and instructed 'LH, turn right heading 140, just now, over'. The controller repeated his instructions and instructed the crew to increase their rate of climb. At that time the GPWS sounded in the cockpit. The aircraft struck trees on the slope of a mountain in a nose-up, left wing down attitude and continued 800 m while breaking up.