Air France Flight 4590 Concorde Disaster Audio guide

Tragedy over Gonesse

On 25 July 2000, shortly after takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the Concorde operating as Air France Flight 4590 crashed into a hotel in Gonesse. One hundred and thirteen people were killed, including 100 passengers, 9 crew members, and 4 people on the ground. It was the only fatal accident involving this type of aircraft, and it profoundly ended its reputation as an impeccable symbol of supersonic travel.

The investigation led by the French BEA concluded that the accident was triggered by a metal strip on the runway, which damaged a tire during the takeoff roll. The resulting fire struck the left engines and the fuel tank, leading to a rapid loss of power and control of the aircraft. The event showed how sensitive Concorde operations were to the combination of high speed, design limits, and operational risks on the apron and runway.

What to remember here

At the site and around the airport, not only the crash itself is remembered today, but also the end of an era in civil aviation. Concorde was an exceptionally advanced machine, designed for highly demanding operations and a narrow range of routes. After the accident, extensive modifications were made to the aircraft, yet operations never again returned to the public trust they had once enjoyed.