According to a CNN report, a French court ruled on December 6 that criminal negligence on the part of Continental Airlines and one of the company’s mechanics partially caused a Concorde supersonic jet to catch fire, and crash into a hotel during takeoff at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on July 25, 2000. The crash of the plane, Air France Flight 4590, killed 113 people.
It was determined that a Continental Airlines DC-10 plane that took off moments before Flight 4590 played a key role in the aviation disaster. Allegedly, a strip of titanium fell off the DC-10. Investigators state that the titanium strip was not installed properly on the engine of the DC-10, which led to charges made against the airline and the mechanic. An attorney for the airline disputed the charges, saying that the problems with the Concorde were evident decades before the accident; and therefore Continental should not be blamed.
Further investigation exposed the chain of events that brought down the plane shortly following takeoff from the airport. It was discovered that a tire under the left wing of the craft exploded during takeoff when it came in contact with the titanium strip on the runway. Bits of the blown tire went into the plane’s wing, which caused the fuel tank to burst, which sparked the fire and caused the accident. The disaster killed 100 passengers aboard the plane, as well as nine crew members and four people on the ground.
As a result, Continental Airlines was fined 202,000 Euros (about $268,400 USD) and was also ordered to pay 1 million Euros to Air France, which had operated the flight. The mechanic was fined 2,000 Euros (about $2,656 USD) and also received a 15-months suspended prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, aircraft manufacturer EADS was found to be partially responsible for the accident and was ordered to pay 30 percent of compensation to victims that were involved in the lawsuit. Air France had already paid unspecified damages to the families of the majority of the victims of the accident. The accident of Air France Flight 4590 is the only occurrence of a Concorde airplane crash.
Also named in the lawsuit were the mechanic’s former supervisor and three French officials that were in charge of the Concorde’s design, testing, and certification. They were found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Charges against them had stated that they could have acted earlier to fix the plane’s well-known design flaws. Air France discontinued use of the supersonic jets in 2003.
The aviation accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have many years of experience successfully litigating aviation accident cases when it is determined negligence caused an airplane crash. We have the necessary resources to obtain full and just compensation for the family members of victims who have lost their lives in aviation accidents. If you have lost a loved one in a plane crash, our attorneys are here to help. Call our law office today for a free consultation at 1-877-800-1700.
