Region
Africa

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:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
B7
YOM:
1943
Location:
Tambacounda
Tambacounda Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff from Tambacounda Airport for unknown reason. The seaplane was destroyed and all six occupants were killed, among them the French Commodore Pierre Ponchardier and his wife.

Crash of a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation off Dakar: 63 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1960 at 0647 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
Operator:
Registration:
F-BHBC
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Paris – Dakar – Monrovia – Abidjan
MSN:
4622
YOM:
1955
Flight number:
AF343
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
55
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
63
Captain / Total flying hours:
20068
Copilot / Total flying hours:
7192
Aircraft flight hours:
16417
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way from Paris-Orly to Abidjan with intermediate stops at Dakar and Monrovia. While approaching Dakar just before sunset, the crew started an approach to runway 01 after declining an ILS approach to runway 30. The approach was abandoned due to low visibility caused by poor weather conditions and the captain decided to follow a holding pattern, waiting for an improvement of the weather conditions. Shortly after 0641LT, the crew started a second attempt to land on runway 01 but after reporting downwind at 0647LT, the airplane disappeared in a rain squall and crashed into the sea some 2,400 meters off the Mamelles lighthouse. The airplane sank by a depth of 40 meters and few debris and dead bodies were found about two hours later. All 63 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lucien Boirre, pilot,
Jean Roze, copilot,
Eugène Schuller, radio operator,
Jean-Camille Baty, mechanic,
Louis Meleder, mechanic,
Geneviève Sabourin, stewardess,
François Quiret, steward,
Albert-Émile Guepratte, steward.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences and to the fact that the aircraft was not equipped with flight recording systems, investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89B Dominie in Dakar

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1960
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Air Brousse
Registration:
OO-CJS
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Léopoldville – Dakar
MSN:
6429
YOM:
1938
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on approach to Dakar Airport while on a flight from Léopoldville. All six occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland V off Dakar: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1958 at 1154 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.25 Sunderland
Operator:
Registration:
27.F.3
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Dakar - Dakar
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After completing a short local training flight, the crew was returning to his base at Bel-Air NAS in Dakar. Upon landing, the seaplane bounced and eventually broke in two and partially sank few dozen yards off the district of Hann Bel-Air, into the bay of Hann. Three crew members were killed while eight others were rescued. Few hours later, one of the survivor died from his injuries.
Crew (27F Squadron):
Mst Albert Le Prunnec, gunner, †
Mst Jean Quioc, navigator,
Off Legoff,
Off Giroguy,
2nd Mst Pierre Dauris,
Mst Jean Roche,
2nd Mst Marcel Riou,
Q/Mst Jean Gougeard,
Off Le Mouzy, †
Off Coen, †
Off Jourdan. †

Crash of a De Havilland DH.106 Comet 1A in Dakar

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1953 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.106 Comet
Operator:
Registration:
F-BGSC
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Paris – Marseille – Dakar – Abidjan
MSN:
6019
YOM:
1953
Location:
Dakar-Yoff
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight and approach, the pilot-in-command landed properly and started the braking procedure when one of the main landing gear struck a hole in the runway surface. The gear's leg broke off and the airplane came on its belly, slid for dozen yards and overran before coming to rest about 40 meters past the runway end. There were no casualties but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair. Brand new, it was delivered few weeks ago.
Probable cause:
Undercarriage collapsed while contacting a hole in the runway surface.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-35-DK in Dakar: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
980/F-RAMM
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
16564/33312
YOM:
1945
Location:
Dakar-Ouakam AFB
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Dakar-Ouakam AFB, while climbing, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames. Eight occupants were killed while nine others were seriously injured.

Crash of an Avro 691 Lancastrian in Dakar

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Avro 691 Lancastrian
Operator:
Registration:
I-AHBX
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Buenos Aires – Rio de Janeiro – Natal – Dakar – Algiers – Rome
MSN:
1292
YOM:
1946
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown, the four engine aircraft christened 'Maestrale' went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in flames. All 13 occupants were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III off Dakar: 10 killed

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Short S.25 Sunderland
Operator:
Registration:
ML851
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Dakar-Yoff Airport, the seaplane registered ML851 (7.F-1) went out of control and crashed into the sea off the suburb of Les Almadies. All ten crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 685 York in Dakar: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
G-AHEZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
London – Lisbon – Dakar – Natal – Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
1303
YOM:
1946
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
On final approach to Dakar-Yoff Airport, the captain decided to go around due to low visibility causes by poor weather conditions. A second and a third attempt to land were aborted few minutes later. During the fourth attempt, while short of fuel, the aircraft landed hard and the undercarriage were sheared off. The aircraft slid on its belly for several yards and came to rest, broken in two. Six passengers were killed while nine other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Regarding the flight plan, there was too great errors in the ETA and the endurance was inexact. Lack of decision on the part of the pilot who, after his second attempt to land, and in view of his insufficient petrol reserve, should have carried out the diversionary plan.
The lighting of the runways was inadequate: there were no approach lights and there are no wireless facilities for landing in bad visibility at Dakar-Yoff Airport.
Contributory Causes:
Difficulties in exchange of radio telephony communications between the control tower and the aircraft,
Insufficient knowledge of the English language by the controllers in the tower, according to the Americans and British,
As regards to the crew, there certainly appears to have been a slight nervousness during the attempts to land,
The danger to passengers in the case of cabin fuselage below the wing in the event of a forced landing elsewhere than on a runway,
Lack of knowledge of the alternate airfield of Thies by BSAA crews. Thies was given on the old general aeronautical maps but at the time of the accident, no schedule for this aerodrome has yet been published by the Aeronautical Information Section. This schedule was available following the publication of the final investigation report.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth near Dakar

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1945
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
Operator:
Registration:
44-90485
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after take off from Dakar-Yoff Airport, the engine failed, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed some 10 miles northeast of the airport and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The pilot, 2nd Lt Frank L. Loftus, was injured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.
Subscribe to Senegal