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| France Concorde crash trial opens | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| US airline Continental and five individuals have gone on trial in France over the crash of an Air France Concorde nearly 10 years ago. | |
| The jet took off in flames from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and crashed minutes later, killing 113 people. | The jet took off in flames from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and crashed minutes later, killing 113 people. |
| An official report said Concorde had hit a metal strip from a Continental plane that had taken off earlier. | An official report said Concorde had hit a metal strip from a Continental plane that had taken off earlier. |
| But Continental's lawyers say they can prove the supersonic jet caught fire before it struck the titanium strip. | But Continental's lawyers say they can prove the supersonic jet caught fire before it struck the titanium strip. |
| "I am here to prove that Continental Airlines is not responsible," the airline's lawyer Olivier Metzner said as he arrived at the courtroom in Pontoise, west of Paris. | |
| The stricken Concorde flight 4590 crashed in the town of Gonesse in July 2000, hitting a hotel and killing four people there as well as all 109 on board. | The stricken Concorde flight 4590 crashed in the town of Gonesse in July 2000, hitting a hotel and killing four people there as well as all 109 on board. |
| Most of the passengers were German tourists heading to New York to join a luxury cruise to the Caribbean. Nine French crew members also died. | Most of the passengers were German tourists heading to New York to join a luxury cruise to the Caribbean. Nine French crew members also died. |
| The entire fleet of Concordes was grounded until an inquiry established that one of the plane's tyres had burst, causing debris to shoot out and rupture a fuel tank. | The entire fleet of Concordes was grounded until an inquiry established that one of the plane's tyres had burst, causing debris to shoot out and rupture a fuel tank. |
| CONCORDE CRASH 25 JULY 2000 | CONCORDE CRASH 25 JULY 2000 |
| 1. 1643 local time: Smoke seen as Air France Concorde 4590 takes off | 1. 1643 local time: Smoke seen as Air France Concorde 4590 takes off |
| 2. Control tower tells pilot large flames coming from tail end | 2. Control tower tells pilot large flames coming from tail end |
| 3. A mile from airport, pilot tries to gain altitude | 3. A mile from airport, pilot tries to gain altitude |
| 4. Three miles from airport, Concorde starts to roll and fall | 4. Three miles from airport, Concorde starts to roll and fall |
| 5. 1644 local time: Concorde crashes killing 109 on board and four on ground | 5. 1644 local time: Concorde crashes killing 109 on board and four on ground |
| Source: Bureau Enquêtes-Accidents | Source: Bureau Enquêtes-Accidents |
| Leaking kerosene then ignited and caused the catastrophe. | Leaking kerosene then ignited and caused the catastrophe. |
| After nearly a year and a half out of service, in November 2001, the jets took to the air once more with new reinforced fuel tanks, but inquiries continued. | After nearly a year and a half out of service, in November 2001, the jets took to the air once more with new reinforced fuel tanks, but inquiries continued. |
| In December 2004, a judicial investigation concluded that a piece of metal left on the runway by another aircraft had caused one of Concorde's tyres to burst and shred. | |
| Investigators said the 43cm (17in) metal strip had fallen from the engine casing of a Continental Airlines DC-10 and in March 2008 a French public prosecutor asked judges to bring manslaughter charges. | Investigators said the 43cm (17in) metal strip had fallen from the engine casing of a Continental Airlines DC-10 and in March 2008 a French public prosecutor asked judges to bring manslaughter charges. |
| Houston-based Continental Airlines is denying responsibility. | Houston-based Continental Airlines is denying responsibility. |
| Mr Metzner said he would challenge the official view that the metal strip led to the crash. | |
| "We are going to fight it and establish that the Concorde caught fire eight seconds before this scrap of metal met with the Concorde - so about 700m (2,300ft) before," he said. | "We are going to fight it and establish that the Concorde caught fire eight seconds before this scrap of metal met with the Concorde - so about 700m (2,300ft) before," he said. |
| This is denied by Air France, which is not facing charges. | This is denied by Air France, which is not facing charges. |
| CONCORDE 1962: Separate French and British projects join forces1967: Prototype rolled out in Toulouse1 October 1969: First supersonic flight21 January 1976: First commercial flight26 November 2003: Fleet retiresRange: 4,300 miles (6,880km)Top speed: Mach 2 (1,335mph; 2,150km/h)Fastest crossing from Europe to New York: Two hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds Q&A: Concorde crash trial Concorde crew's last words In pictures: Concorde class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/02_02_10_concorde">Read the report from the French accident investigation agency | |
| As well as Continental, five individuals are being prosecuted. | As well as Continental, five individuals are being prosecuted. |
| They include John Taylor, the Continental mechanic who allegedly fitted the metal strip to the DC-10, and Stanley Ford, a maintenance official from the airline. | They include John Taylor, the Continental mechanic who allegedly fitted the metal strip to the DC-10, and Stanley Ford, a maintenance official from the airline. |
| Also facing charges are Concorde's former chief engineer Jacques Herubel, and Henri Perrier, a former head of the Concorde division at Aerospatiale - now part of the aerospace company EADS. | Also facing charges are Concorde's former chief engineer Jacques Herubel, and Henri Perrier, a former head of the Concorde division at Aerospatiale - now part of the aerospace company EADS. |
| Claude Frantzen, a former member of France's civil aviation watchdog, is the fifth individual defendant. | Claude Frantzen, a former member of France's civil aviation watchdog, is the fifth individual defendant. |
| Manslaughter charges can carry penalties of up to five years in prison and a 75,000-euro ($104,000) fine - but correspondents say that in the case of guilty verdicts, suspended prison sentences are more likely in this case. | |
| Only some of the victims' families will be represented at the hearings, as most took compensation from Air France after the crash in return for not taking legal action. | Only some of the victims' families will be represented at the hearings, as most took compensation from Air France after the crash in return for not taking legal action. |
| Stephane Gicquel of Fenvac, a French federation representing the interests of the families of crew members, said relatives would watch the trial with great interest. | Stephane Gicquel of Fenvac, a French federation representing the interests of the families of crew members, said relatives would watch the trial with great interest. |
| "This tragedy is part of their personal history and of their family history," Mr Gicquel told the BBC. | "This tragedy is part of their personal history and of their family history," Mr Gicquel told the BBC. |
| The trial is expected to last four months. | |
| The disaster was the only crash ever to involve a Concorde supersonic airliner. | The disaster was the only crash ever to involve a Concorde supersonic airliner. |
| Air France and British Airways retired their Concorde fleets in 2003. | Air France and British Airways retired their Concorde fleets in 2003. |