FRANCE: REPORT ON AIR FRANCE CONCORDE CRASH REVEALS THAT A FIRE DRILL HAD DELAYED A ROUTINE INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY

Record ID: 383697

  • Title: FRANCE: REPORT ON AIR FRANCE CONCORDE CRASH REVEALS THAT A FIRE DRILL HAD DELAYED A ROUTINE INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY
  • Date: 3rd September 2000
  • Summary: LE BOURGET, FRANCE (1 SEPTEMBER 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR AIR MUSEUM AT LE BOURGET/MUSEUM ENTRY SIGN (2 SHOTS) 0.05 2. SLV FRANCE'S AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BUREAU (BEA) NEWS CONFERENCE 0.11 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF FRANCE'S AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BUREAU (BEA) PAUL LOUIS ARSLANIAN SAYING: "At 4.30 local time a partial runway inspection was performed on a part of the runway and then this firemen exercise was performed on both runways, the twenty six left and the twenty six right. To my knowledge there was no other inspection carried out that day." (CUTAWAY MEDIA INCLUDED) 0.55 FILE PICTURES (JULY 25, 2000) (REUTERS) 4. SLV EMERGENCY SERVICES AT SITE OF CONCORDE CRASH HOSING SMOULDERING DEBRIS (3 SHOTS) 1.06 LE BOURGET, FRANCE (1 SEPTEMBER 2000) (REUTERS) 5. (SOUNDBITE) (French)EXPERT IN CHARGE OF INVESTIGATION INTO THE CONCORDE CRASH ALAIN BOUILLARD SAYING: "An incredibly fast chain of events led to the accident in less than five seconds on the runway. Indeed, first we find on the runway over approximately 150 metres, elements from the left train water deflector, a light alloy plate, which doesn't belong to the Concorde, but which looks like an aircraft part. Next to this part we find a piece of tyre number two of the place. " 1.41 (AUGUST 31, 2000) (REUTERS) 6. SCU STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF STRIP OF METAL FOUND ON RUNWAY (TOP) AND RIPPED TYRE/ STILL OF METAL STRIP/ STILL OF RIPPED TYRE (3 SHOTS) 2.01 LE BOURGET, NEAR PARIS (SEPTEMBER 1, 2000) (REUTERS) 7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) BOUILLARD: "The destruction of the tyre, a simple event that we cannot say that it would not happen again- has caused the loss of the plane and the death of 113 people without the crew being able to rectify the situation." 2.22 (FILE - AUGUST 16, 2000) (REUTERS) 8. SMV/SLV CONCORDE IN A HANGAR; SCU CONCORDE WHEEL (3 SHOTS) 2.32 LE BOURGET, NEAR PARIS (SEPTEMBER 1, 2000) (REUTERS) 9. MV JOURNALISTS AT PRESS CONFERENCE 2.36 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAUL LOUIS ARSLANIAN SAYING: "I insist on the fact that the accident is due to a series, to a succession of facts, one or two being perfectly known now, like the damage of the tyre and the fire. But in between we still lack some details on what happened. " 3.06 FILE PICTURES (JULY 25, 2000) (REUTERS) 11. SLV EMERGENCY SERVICES AT SITE OF THE CRASH (2 SHOTS) 3.11 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LE BOURGET, NEAR PARIS AND GONESSE, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA3XJWRR4ZWXHUM4CBJNUJEGIIN
  • Story Text: The chief investigator into last month's Air France
    Concorde crash has said a fire drill delayed a routine
    inspection of the runway which the plane used for its doomed
    flight in which 113 died.

    The French Air Investigation Bureau (BEA) faced the
    media at an aviation museum at Le Bourget airport on Friday
    (September 1) to explain the contents of the preliminary
    report into the Concorde crash.

    The report said a metal strip found on the runway was
    likely to have burst one of the Concorde's tyres, triggering a
    chain of events that caused the airliner to crash in flames
    less than two minutes after take-off on July 25.

    The head of the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA),
    Paul-Louis Arslanian, also said the routine inspection of the
    runway was postponned because of a firemen's drill but, wary
    of hasty conclusions, he added that he did not know if this
    was a normal procedure.

    "At midday a partial runway inspection was performed on a
    part of the runway and then this firemen exercise was
    performed on both runways, the 26 left and the 26 right. To my
    knowledge there was no other inspection carried out that day,"
    Arslanian said.

    The ill-fated Air France Concorde took off at 4.43 p.m.

    (1443 GMT) and fell back to earth in less than two minutes.

    Another investigation expert, Alain Bouillard, insisted no
    single piece of evidence could be blamed for the tragedy. The
    chilling transcript of the final exchange between the Concorde
    crew and air traffic control revealed that there was a chain
    of events between the first warning from the tower to the
    flight's descent into oblivion. It took 1 minute and 18
    seconds before the crash.

    "An incredibly fast chain of events led to the accident in
    less than five seconds on the runway. Indeed, first we find on
    the runway over approximately 150 metres, elements from the
    left train water deflector, a light alloy plate, which doesnt
    belong to the Concorde, but which looks like an aircraft part.

    Next to this part we find a piece of tyre number two of the
    place," Bouillard said.

    The metal strip found on the runway may have come from
    another plane. Since the beginning of the investigation,
    experts have speculated that this 43-centimetre (17-inch)
    strip caused the tyre to explode.

    The debris from the tyre is then thought to have ruptured
    the fuel tanks, setting off the fire.

    "The plane flew for about one minute with a flame
    -estimated by some observers to have been as long as the plane
    itself, that is, 60 metres. Thus, the destruction of the tyre
    -a simple event that we cannot say that it would not happen
    again- has caused the loss of the plane and the death of 113
    people without the crew being able to rectify the situation,"
    Bouillard said.

    This is what led the investigators to issue the safety
    recommendations on August 16. The British and French air
    safety authorities then suspended Concorde's certificates of
    airworthiness earlier this month.

    The two countries said Concorde would remain grounded
    until the risk of catastrophe from tyre blowouts was
    addressed.

    Experts will continue their investigation into the
    accident and the Franco-British working group which is to
    decide the fate of Concorde will meet again on September 7.

    The 90-page preliminary report does not contain any analysis
    or definitive conclusions about the cause of the disaster
    Investigators are keen to emphasise that many questions
    still remain unanswered. Although they need to identify what
    the metal strip was doing on the runway and where it came
    from, Arlasian said understanding that was not a high priority
    but just a part of the puzzle that makes up the whole picture
    of the crash story.

    "I insist on the fact that the accident is due to a
    series, to a succession of facts, one or two being perfectly
    known now, like the damage of the tyre and the fire. But in
    between we still lack some details on what happened. It is not
    easy to say whether another aircraft would not have been
    victim of the same accident. I can even tell you that it is
    impossible to say whether this Concorde, if coming on this
    part again, if possible, would suffer the same damaged and
    have the same accident event," Arlasian said.

    Air France Concorde flight 4590 took off from Paris
    Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport on July 25. It crashed in
    flames after hitting a hotel near the runway, killing all 109
    passengers on board.

    French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot confirmed
    last weekend that Concorde would fly again if the
    manufacturers of the plane could guarantee such an accident
    would not recur.


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