France has announced two inquiries into this evening's crash of an Air France Concorde shortly after take-off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The Transport Minister said that a technical inquiry had been set up and that a judicial inquiry was being opened as a matter of routine. A total of 113 people died when the airliner bound for New York crashed into one of two adjoining hotels in the Paris suburb of Gonesse. The dead included all 109 people on board and four people on the ground. A number of people on the ground are also reported to have been injured. The plane had been chartered by a Germany operator and was bound for New York where its passengers were due to begin a Caribbean cruise.
A spokesman said that the dead passengers comprised 96 Germans, one American, two Danes and one Austrian. Three children were among the fatalities. The nine crewmembers were all French. French interior ministry officials at the scene said that the victims on the ground comprised three hotel workers and a British tourist. The workers were said to be a French cleaning woman and two Polish apprentices. Earlier reports said that one survivor had been rescued from the crash site.
Eyewitness reports said that one of the Concorde's engines was on fire at take-off from Charles de Gaulle and the plane failed to gain height. They described a huge fireball as Flight AF4590 crashed within two minutes of take-off. Aviation officials have said that the Concorde's two black boxes have been recovered and handed to investigating officials. Germany's Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, cancelled a planned trip and is to attend a special memorial service in Hanover tomorrow. The Taoiseach has expressed condolences to Mr Schroeder and the French Prime Minster, Lionel Jospin and to the relatives of the victims.
The dream of supersonic air travel was born over 30 years ago, the result of a long standing collaboration between the British and French aviation industries at a cost of nearly £1 billion. This is the first accident ever involving the aircraft, which first went into service in the mid-seventies. The only major incident in Concorde's history was in 1979 when a plane's tyres blew out during a landing. Ironically Concorde's high speeds are thought to cause less wear and tear than workhorse planes which suffer longer flying hours. The Concorde involved in the accident was delivered to Air France in June 1979. It went into service in October of the following year and performed 3,978 landings and flew just under 12,000 flying hours.
Earlier this week, it emerged that a British Airways Concorde was taken out of service after a crack developed in its wings; six other Concordes were also found to have cracks in the rear of their wings. However Air France have claimed that today's crash was linked to an engine problem and had nothing to do with these cracks. Air France and British Airways each operate a seven strong fleet carrying 100 passengers at around 1,300 miles per hour and an altitude of 55,000 feet. British Airways cancelled two other Concorde flights this evening and Air France suspended all Concorde flights.
