July 25, 2000
Gonesse, France
Air France, Flight 4590
Aerospatiale BAe Concorde 101
F-BTSC


The aircraft struggled to gain altitude after taking off from Charles de Gaulle airport. The
pilot reported the No. 2 engine failed and struggled to steer towards Le Bourget airfield as
smoke and fire trailed the jet's left wing. The plane was unable to gain altitude, went nose
high, stalled and crashed into a small hotel complex. Preliminary indications are a metal strip
left on the runway by another plane gashed one of the Concorde's tires which blew out
damaging a fuel tank and causing a leak. Leaking fuel ignited and started an uncontrollable
fire. Power was lost to the No. 1 and No. 2 engines which led to loss of control of the aircraft
and subsequent crash. Investigation revealed the metal strip was probably a thrust reverser
part from Continental Airlines DC-10-30 , registered N13067 which departed Paris as flight
055 to Newark. All 109 aboard and 2 on the ground killed.

CAM-1= Captain
CAM-2= First Officer
CAM-3 = Flight Engineer
RDO- = Radio transmission
CTL = Charles de Gaulle Control
ARFF = Fire Brigade
VHF-? = Unknown source from radio
(*)= Unclear words

Translated from French

16.42:17.00 CTL Air France forty-five ninety, cleared for takeoff runway 26 right, wind zero ninety, eight knots.
16.42:21.16 RDO-2 Forty-five ninety, cleared for takeoff 26 right.
16.42:23.07 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.42:24.21 CAM-1 Is everyone ready?
16.42:25.19 CAM-2 Yes
16.42:26.00 CAM-3 Yes
16.42:26.15 CAM-1 Towards hundred V1 one-hundred and fifty
16.42:28.19 CAM-1 (*)
16.42:30.11 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.42:31.00 CAM-1 Top
16.42:31.07 CAM [Change of background noise: similar to engines increasing power]
16.42:35.08 VHF-? Go on Christian
16.42:43.08 CAM-3 We have four heated up.
16.42:47.13 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.42:54.16 CAM-2 Hundred knots.
16.42:55.03 CAM [sound]
16.42:55.13 CAM-1 Confirmed.
16.42:57.00 CAM-3 Four green.
16.43:03.17 CAM-2 Vee one.
16.43:07.00 CAM [Low-frequency noise]
16.43:10.02 CAM [sound]
16.43:11.00 CAM [Change of background noise]
16.43:11.22 CAM-1 (*)
16.43:13.00 CAM-2 Watch out.
16.43:13.09 CTL Concorde forty-five ninety you have flames (*) you have flames behind you.
16.43:13.20 CAM [end of change of background noise]
16.43:16.03 VHF-? (*) right.
  CAM [sound of a switch]
16.43:16.10 CAM-3 (stop)
16.43:18.20 RDO-2 Roger.
16.43:20.11 CAM-3 Number two engine failure.
16.43:21.08 CAM [2 sounds of switches: similar to the Throttle Control Unit changing from manual to alternate]
16.43:22.21 CAM [ringing sound of fire alarm]
  VHF-? It's burning badly, huh.
16.43:23.13 CAM Gong
16.43:24.20 CAM-3 Shut down engine number two.
16.43:25.19 CAM-1 Engine fire procedure.
16.43:26.05 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.43:26.19 CAM [end of fire alarm]
16.43:27.04 CAM-2 Watch out.
16.43:27.12 CAM-2 The airspeed the airspeed.
  CAM [sound of a switch]
16.43:28.05 CAM-2 Airspeed.
  CAM Gong
16.43:28.17 VHF-? It's burning badly and I'm not sure it's coming from the engine.
16.43:29.08 CAM [sound of a switch: similar to fire extinguisher handle being activated]
16.43:30.00 CAM-1 Gear on the way up.
16.43:31.15 CTL Forty-five ninety you have strong flames behind you.
16.43:32.14 CAM [alarm: similar to toilet smoke alert]
16.43:34.12 VHF-? [start reception of Middle Marker]
16.43:34.17 RDO-2 Yes roger.
16.43:35.13 CAM-3 The gear doesn't.
16.43:37.00 CAM Gong
16.43:37.08 CTL So, at your convenience, you have priority to return for landing.
16.43:37.18 CAM-3 The gear.
16.43:38.10 CAM-2 No.
16.43:38.12 CAM [2 sounds of switches]
16.43:39.00 CAM-1 (The gear) coming up.
16.43:41.04 RDO-2 Roger.
16.43:42.07 CAM [ringing sound of fire alarm]
16.43:43.00 CAM Gong
16.43:44.17 CAM [3 sounds of switches]
16.43:45.16 CAM-2 (I'm trying).
  CAM-3 (I'm hitting).
16.43:46.08 CAM-1 (Are) you shutting down engine two.
    [end of toilet smoke alert]
16.43:48.04 CAM-3 I've shut it down.
16.43:49.07 VHF-? [end reception of Middle Marker]
16.43:49.22 CAM-2 Airspeed.
16.43:53.00 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.43:54.19 CAM [end of fire alarm]
16.43:56.17 CAM-2 The gear won't retract.
16.43:58.15 CAM [ringing sound of fire alarm]
16.43:59.03 CAM [whoop whoop pull up]
16.43:59.09 CAM Gong
16.44:00.14 CAM [whoop whoop pull up]
16.44:00.17 CAM-2 Airspeed.
16.44:02.00 CAM [whoop whoop pull up]
16.44:03.00 ARFF De Gaulle tower from fire service leader.
16.44:05.04 CTL Fire service leader, uh ... the Concorde, I don't know its intentions, get yourself in position near the south doublet.
16.44:10.13 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.44:12.00 CAM-1 (*)
16.44:13.05 ARFF De Gaulle tower from fire service leader authorisation to enter twenty-six right.
16.44:14.15 CAM-2 Le Bourget Le Bourget.
16.44:16.12 CAM-1 (Too late).
16.44:18.02 CTL Fire service leader, correction, the Concorde is returning to runway zero nine in the opposite direction.
16.44:19.19 CAM-1 (No time, no).
16.44:22.19 RDO-2 Negative, we're trying Le Bourget.
16.44:24.18 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.44:25.02 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.44:25.11 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.44:26.04 CAM [sound of a switch]
16.44:26.10 CAM-2 (No).
  ARFF De Gaulle tower from fire service leader, can you give me the situation of the Concorde.
16.44:27.13 CAM [sound of a switch and other sounds: similar to objects being moved]
16.44:29.00 CAM-1 (*)
16.44:30.00 CAM-1 (*)
16.44:30.18 CAM-1 (*)
16.44:31.16   End of recording

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