Concorde Crashes: Supersonic Dream Ends in Flames
Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde supersonic jet, struck a metal strip on the runway at Charles de Gaulle Airport on July 25, 2000, that had fallen from a Continental Airlines DC-10 five minutes earlier. The debris punctured a tire, sending rubber fragments into the fuel tank at 190 mph. Leaking fuel ignited instantly. The pilots attempted to reach nearby Le Bourget airport but the aircraft lost thrust on two engines. The Concorde crashed into a hotel in Gonesse 90 seconds after liftoff, killing all 109 aboard and 4 on the ground. The entire Concorde fleet was grounded. After modifications and a brief return to service, both Air France and British Airways retired the aircraft in 2003, ending the era of commercial supersonic travel.
July 25, 2000
26 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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