737 down in Sierra Leone

[Gunship Jnr]

My dad said I must mail you guys. (he can not get online and his password is not working - he says - )

He says a Air Guinea B737 took off from Lungi and they think the wing hit the runway.

An engine broke loose and the a/c skidded to the end of the runway. He said the weather was very bad today and he might have skidded.

Anyway - no serious injuries.

He sends his regards to everyone :D

Cheers from Gunnsss Junior :cool:

[TimS]

Thanks Jnr - best wishes to your Dad

Brgds

TimS

[Deanw]

Hi G Jnr

Welcome to Pprune :ok:

[ChiefT]

Are there any more details about the accident?

Seems to be a serious one, even if no fatalities. If the wing hits the ground, then the aircraft usually has alreday took off, am I right?
Thanks for any information

[Gunship Jnr]

Thanks Dean.

My dad says :

Tell them it was an aborted take off according to the local news papers.

The flight was delayed since the morning due to very heavy rains. Believe it or not but every one reckons the emergency services saved the day - WELL DONE ! A fire was prevented due to their quick action.

126 pax came out with minor injuries ... most injuries from climbing over each other to get out.

Some climbed through windows.

Fuel was everywhere and passengers reported smelling fuel when they boarded and it became worse when the taxied ...

All from the Concord Times in Salone ...

[B Sousa]

Guns Jr. Not only the Beer Go getter but also an aspiring Pilot...........Just dont let your dad get you into Tassies.....Yuk.
And also tell him to say Hello to Alfred Kamara when he sees him.....
Me,Im back to the City of Lights..............Vega$ (43 Degrees here today)

[Hogg]

Yo Guns Jnr.

Just tell ure old man to make sure he has money 4 beer when I next see him and to be in Alexs!

Cheers

Hoggy

[Gunship Jnr]

Lo Hogg,

He reads but can not post. He mailed admin but had no reply.

From Gunnss :

A pilot friend there came up with this ....

The plane took off, possibly stalled, crashed back into the runway, bounced and came crashing down again ... wings, engines departing along the way and eventually stopping - skidding to the end of the runway at the dumbell (but off the runway). :uhoh:

They where very lucky to came out alive.

Newspapers reports on all the sueing the pax wants ...

His Muslim friend says they should rather thank God ! :E

[JJflyer]

Air Guinee Express flight from Lungi to Conakry and Banjul on the morning of the 11th was the flight in question. CB's reported around ETD. Possible windshear/ microburst culprit? Anyways, the aircraft ended up in a swamp 4.5 to 5 km from the airport.

No fatalities reported. Aircraft, a 1981 B737-200 was a total hull loss though.

METAR's here for those interested.

GFLL 111400Z 24006KT 9999 17TS SCT012 FEW027CB OVC110 25/24 Q1012 TS-SW=
GFLL 111500Z 25010KT 9999 17TS SCT008 FEW027CB OVC110 25/24 Q1010 TS/SW=

JJ

[Gunship Jnr]

From Gunss :

Tx JJ FLYER but some facts are definately wrong as I was there.

The aircraft took off rway 12 ... the flight - bounce - flight bounce happened about half way down the runway.

The aircraft skidded off the runway (very wet area ) and most probably saved a lot of lives !)

The aircraft skidded along the runway for a mile or so and ended just past the threshold of runway 30. Breaking a vapi / papi light or two.

From my areal view I can just say that if he skidded like that on the runway he surely would have caight alight as only the right engine came off and the right u/c.

I have pics but sadly I can not post them yet ...

PS: The wings ARE intact contrary to reports.

Strangly the right elevator has damage as well (maybe l/g or engine that came off ?)

Cheers Gunss

[Deanw]

http://news.airwise.com/stories/2004/08/1092308560.html

August 12, 2004

A hundred and twenty-six people escaped unharmed after their
aircraft ditched into a swamp as it tried to take off from Sierra
Leone's capital Freetown, officials said on Thursday.

The Air Guinea Boeing 737 had just left the ground at Lungi
Airport on Wednesday when it lurched into a swamp 5 km (3
miles) from the runway, leaving one wing partly submerged in
mud.

"A combined team of airport fire and security services quickly
moved to the scene and helped to save the passengers and crew," said airport spokesman Mohamed Swarray.

Sierra Leone's civil aviation authority and the carrier which owned
the plane said the cause of the crash was not yet known. Hospital officials said about 50 of the passengers were treated for shock and minor injuries.

"There were no deaths or injuries but the aircraft was seriously
damaged. We don't know the cause as yet," said Aboubacar Sidiki Camara, the airline's director of operations.

Africa's poorly maintained airliners are prone to accidents. Three
planes crashed into the ground shortly after takeoff around the
continent last year.

In December a chartered Boeing 727 operated by a Guinea-
registered company hit a building at the end of the runway in
Cotonou, Benin, before crashing into the sea, killing 138 people.
(Reuters)

[JJflyer]

I was no where near... Not even near Africa. Merely repeating what I heard and added the weather. Try to get the pics on I'd love to see them.

Cheerio

JJ

[Delsey Drifter]

This is on the wire from Boeing:
Air Guinee (GNE) 737-200 3X-GCM Takeoff Accident, Freetown, Sierra Leone - 11 August 2004

We have received an official report that at about 14:25 hours UTC on 11 August, the subject airplane crashed during takeoff from runway 12 at Lungi International Airport in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The airplane was in-route from Conakry, Guinea with 119 passengers and a crew of seven onboard with a final destination of Banjul, Gambia. Nineteen injuries were reported following evacuation, and there was no fire. Weather at the time of the accident was reported as rain.

The report indicates that during takeoff roll the airplane veered to the left of runway centerline, traveled off the runway surface and came to rest on the grass near the departure end of runway 12. Airplane damage occurred beyond economic repair including significant damage to the lower fuselage and separation of the right main landing gear and right engine.

DGCA from Sierra Leone have recovered both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, and are coordinating with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for assistance. Boeing has offered its assistance to the NTSB.

The accident airplane variable number is PN456, serial number 23469 and line number 1266. Our records indicate Air Guinee as the current operator, but Air Guinea Express was officially reported as the operator at the time of this accident. The airplane had accumulated approximately 29,310 flight hours and 34,156 cycles as last reported to Boeing on 31 August 2003. The airplane was delivered to another operator on August 26, 1986.

[Deanw]

Journo's are like weathermen: 90% correct 10% of the time :E

[Atlanta-Driver]

I thought it was 10% correct 90% of the time and 10% is a total miss.

[Gunship]

Latest rumour : It sucked in a dog :uhoh:

Genuine ..

Can anybody host the photo's please ?

[Jetdriver]

That must have thrown a spaniel in the works !

[contraxdog]

I think that must have been a bitch!!

[Gunship]

:p :p :p Ja ja ja .... ask the SN Brussles and Astraeus crews that see the wreck and the skid marks (the SN Brussles crew last Thursday took lotsa pickies) - the pax and crew was definately saved by skidding off the runway otherwiase we would have had a massive disaster.

Rain / mud and grime saved the day on the side of the runway - that is for sure :D

[the wizard of auz]

Guns, Check your PMs.

[Gunship]

Wizard of Oz, I have replied thanks. I need your e-mail address to send the pics to.

They started to break the aircraft up last week (nose cone and one engine).

It depends which ATC is on duty but some do net let you land on rwy 10.

In the mean time here is some good photo's (pressume from the SN Brussles crew) :E

http://coppermine.luchtzak.be/thumbnails.php?album=249