Short S.30 Empire Flying Boat accident at Dakar, Senegal, 24 Sept 1942 (G-AFCZ)
On September 24, 1942, a Short S.30 Empire Flying Boat (registration G-AFCZ) operated by British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC was involved in an aviation accident near Dakar, Senegal in flight. 19 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: It is believed that the airplane suffered an explosion in midair, maybe following a sudden and uncontained failure on the fuel supply system. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
It is believed that the airplane suffered an explosion in midair, maybe following a sudden and uncontained failure on the fuel supply system.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
The seaplane was en route from Lagos to Poole with intermediate stops in Bathurst and Lisbon. About 90 minutes after its departure from Bathurst, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Atlantic Ocean off the Senegalese coast. The crew was unable to send any distress call. Few days after the accident, some debris and six dead bodies were found on the Senegalese coast and it is believed that the airplane apparently crashed some 50 km south of Dakar. All 19 occupants were killed.
Probable cause (official findings): It is believed that the airplane suffered an explosion in midair, maybe following a sudden and uncontained failure on the fuel supply system.