727 Downed in Africa | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.19.25

Airborne-NextGen-05.20.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.21.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.22.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.23.25

Thu, Dec 25, 2003

727 Downed in Africa

Over 80 Dead

A Boeing 727 carrying 140 people has apparently gone down shortly after takeoff from the West African nation of Benin. The aircraft, reportedly operated by a Lebanese charter outfit by the name of UTA, was designated flight 141 and appears to have impacted in the sea, just after departure from the capital city of Cotonou. Benin is a small nation, west of Nigeria, and bordered by the Atlantic ocean.

Beninese airport spokesmen reported that the aircraft appeared to be having problems retracting it's landing gear when it hit a building at the end of the runway and impacted in the sea, about 1415 GMT, Christmas Day.

Current reports indicate that over 60 bodies have been recovered from the coastline and pictures from the scene reveal a badly broken-up aircraft with visible sections of wing, cockpit, landing gear and the rear fuselage.

The flight was supposedly charted by two Lebanese businessmen who were facilitating holiday travel for a predominantly Lebanese clientele.

FMI: http://usembassy.state.gov/benin/

Advertisement

More News

Oshkosh Memories: An Aero-News Stringer Perspective

From 2021: The Inside Skinny On What Being An ANN Oshkosh Stringer Is All About By ANN Senior Stringer Extraordinare, Gene Yarbrough The annual gathering at Oshkosh is a right of p>[...]

NTSB Prelim: Piper PA32RT

Video Showed That During The Takeoff, The Nose Baggage Door Was Open On May 10, 2025, about 0935 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N30689, was destroyed when it was invol>[...]

ANN FAQ: Follow Us On Instagram!

Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.28.25)

"I think what is key, we have offered a bonus to air traffic controllers who are eligible to retire. We are going to pay them a 20% bonus on their salary to stay longer. Don't reti>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.28.25): Pilot Briefing

Aero Linx: Pilot Briefing The gathering, translation, interpretation, and summarization of weather and aeronautical information into a form usable by the pilot or flight supervisor>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne 05.30.25: Anti-Helicopter Bill, PW Strike Done, All-Electric Bristell

Airborne 05.29.25: ATC Bonu$, VX4 eVTOL Flies, Starship 9 Test

Airborne-NextGen 05.28.25: SpaceX Tries Again, Electra Blown Wing, Solar Record

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC