- Title: FRANCE: FRANCE MARKS THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONCORDE CRASH
- Date: 25th July 2001
- Summary: (W4) GONESSE, FRANCE (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. AERIAL/SLV/LV VARIOUS OF THE CRASH SITE (6 SHOTS) 0.30 (W4) ROISSY AIRPORT, FRANCE (JULY 25, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2. LV/SLV/SV BUSES WITH FAMILIES ARRIVING (4 SHOTS) 0.57 3. LV/SLV/SV AIR FRANCE AIR HOSTESSES HANDING OVER FLOWERS TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS/WALKING WITH FLOWERS (3 SHOTS) 1.22 4. LV POLICE SURROUNDING THE AIR FRANCE BUILDING 1.26 5. SV RELATIVES PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE PEOPLE KILLED 1.36 6. LV/SV THE CEREMONY (2 SHOTS) 1.56 7. SV/LV MOURNERS GETTING INTO THE BUSES (2 SHOTS) 2.08 (U4) GONNESSE, FRANCE (JULY 25,2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8. LV PLANE TAKING OFF OVER CRASH SITE 2.16 9. SV VARIOUS OF POLICE ACTIVITIES AROUND THE SITE (2 SHOTS) 2.28 10. SV FLOWERS BEING DELIVERED FOR THE CEREMONY 2.31 11. SLV FLOWERS BEING LAID DOWN IN FRONT OF ENTRANCE OF CRASH SITE 2.38 12. MCU (French) MICHELLE DUBREUIL LOCAL INHABITANT SAYING: "I cannot get it out of my mind, I have to take tranquillizers, and I came today to pay homage, I know it is not very useful but they know we are thinking of them. But I feel a deep sorrow." 2.54 6. SV LOCAL FAMILY WITH FLOWERS 2.59 7. SLV POLICE OPEN GATES OF THE CRASH SITE 3.04 8. LV POLICE OFFICERS LAYING A WREATH 3.14 9. SLV LOCAL OFFICIAL DELEGATION ARRIVING 3.29 10. SV VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ADDING FLOWERS ON THE WREATHS (2 SHOTS) 3.40 11. MCU (French) GONESSE MAYOR JEAN-PIERRE BLAZY SAYING: "As far as Concorde is concerned once again we want to know the whole truth. Today we still ignore why the kerosene caught alight. Kerosene is supposed to be non-flammable, why did it catch fire? The question is still unanswered. Also on the perforation and deformation of reserve tank five, there are still doubts. All these questions must be answered to so that we know the truth." 4.10 12. LAS MORE PEOPLE LAYING FLOWERS 4.21 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th August 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: GONESSE AND ROISSY, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVABPK4J9X8URDHHK9KNIB9M0834
- Story Text: France marks the first anniversary of the Concorde
crash, which claimed 113 lives, looking back in sadness on
those who died in the disaster and looking forward with hope
to the time when the "big white bird" flies again.
France marked the first anniversary of the Concorde
crash on Wednesday (July 25) looking back in sadness on those
who died in the disaster, and looking forward with hope to the
time when the big white bird will fly again.
A simple wreath-laying ceremony for the 113 people killed
took place at the accident site in Gonesse, just outside
Paris, while Air France was due to hold a memorial service
followed by a performance of Mozart's Requiem later in the
day.
One year ago a stricken Air France Concorde, haemorrhaging
fuel and fire, ploughed into a hotel seconds after takeoff
from Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.
As evidence emerged of profound structural errors in the
original Concorde design, aviation authorities banned the
world's only civilian supersonic airliner from the skies.
Many thought the plane would never fly again, but after
months of work to correct the problems, Concorde's only two
owners, British Airways and Air France, announced this week
that they hoped to resume normal service this year in
September and October respectively.
French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot confirmed on
Wednesday that if everything went according to plan, the
delta-winged aircraft's right to fly would shortly be
restored. He told the French newspaper Figaro in an interview
that he would be the first passenger to climb aboard the day
the supersonic aeroplane returned to the skies.
French investigators are continuing their inquiry into the
accident, but are confident that they have worked out 90
percent of the story, with a simple tyre burst seen as the
root cause of the fiery disaster.
At 1442 GMT on July 25, 2000, Captain Christian Marty got
clearance for flight AFR 4590 to take off. The thrust levers
clicked into place and the full complement of German tourists
aboard were pushed back into their seats by the acceleration.
For the next 40 seconds everything went smoothly. Then,
some 1.7 kilometres (1.1 miles) down the runway, the front
right tyre of the planes left landing gear ran over a stray
strip of metal that had just fallen off a previous, outbound
aircraft.
The resulting tyre burst sent chunks of rubber smashing
into underwing fuel tanks which ruptured. The escaping fuel
ignited, two of the jet's four engines faltered and although
the Concorde managed to get airborne, the loss of thrust was
fatal.
To ensure such an accident never happens again, engineers
have designed a new, tougher tyre, strengthened the fuel tank
lining and improved protection around electric cabling.
Although Concorde is noisy and polluting, and perceived as
a plaything for the super rich, very few people are opposed to
its return with one recent opinion poll in France showing that
95 percent of those questioned wanted to see it fly again.
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