July 25, 2000: Concorde Crash at Gonesse

July 25

Copy of Concorde Air France Flight 4590

On July 25, 2000, Concorde airplanes experienced their only fatal tragedy during their 27 years of operation. In the early morning, an Air France Concorde passenger flight departed from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, bound for New York City in the United States. The flight had 109 passengers and crew on board. Tragically, the flight crashed within minutes of takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all passengers and four additional people on the ground.

Air France Flight 4590 crashed just two minutes after taking off. Investigators determined that the plane ran over debris left on the runway during its departure, which caused one of its tires to explode and disintegrate. Fragments of the tire flew in all directions at high speed, striking the underside of the aircraft and damaging the landing gear. This damage prevented the plane from landing immediately and led to a rupture in a fuel tank, causing it to explode. As a result, the aircraft became uncontrollable and crashed into a nearby hotel in Gonesse. Tragically, all 100 passengers and nine crew members on board, as well as people inside the hotel, died instantly in the crash. Additionally, four other individuals were injured in the incident.

The tragic crash of Air France Flight 4590 had a significant impact on safety regulations and maintenance practices for Concorde aircraft. Following the incident, all Concorde flights were temporarily grounded as safety enhancements were implemented and checks were conducted to identify any further vulnerabilities in the planes. This crash underscored the necessity of taking extra safety precautions for all flights, particularly those operating at supersonic speeds. As a result, modifications were made to all Concorde aircraft to include additional fuel tank liners and enhanced safety measures. Although the crash was not the sole reason, it was a contributing factor to the decision to discontinue all Concorde flights by 2003.