What happened
On July 25, 2000, an Air France Concorde, registered F-BTSSC, was preparing for a charter flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle to New York. The aircraft was carrying 100 passengers and 9 crew members. During the takeoff roll on runway 26 right, the aircraft ran over a piece of metal debris left on the runway by a previous departure. This impact caused the destruction of the number 2 tire on the left main landing gear.
The failure of the tire resulted in large quantities of rubber being propelled into the underside of the left wing, which caused a rupture in fuel tank 5. This led to a significant fire under the wing. Simultaneously, the aircraft experienced a loss of thrust in both engines 1 and 2. As the pilot attempted to rotate the aircraft, air traffic control notified the crew of visible flames trailing the plane. The crew initiated engine fire procedures and attempted to manage the loss of power.
Despite efforts to stabilize the aircraft, the landing gear failed to retract, and the GPWS alarm activated. The crew declared an intention to divert to Le Bourget aerodrome. However, a further loss of power occurred in engine 1, and the aircraft subsequently struck a hotel at the intersection of the N17 and D902 roads in Gonesse. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in 109 fatalities on board the aircraft, along with 4 fatalities on the ground. Five hotel employees sustained injuries.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the destruction of a tire caused by striking metallic debris on the runway.
- The tire failure caused structural damage to the wing, specifically a rupture in a fuel tank.
- The resulting fuel leak and subsequent fire led to a loss of engine thrust and the eventual loss of control.