Continental faces manslaughter charges for Concorde crash

by Iva Skoch on

It is hard to believe it has been 8 years since the Air France Concorde crashed. I still remember vividly the image of it on fire.

Now, a French prosecutor has asked judges to bring manslaughter charges against Continental over the crash outside of Paris in 2000 and recommended similar charges against two Continental employees and two French officials, BBC reports.

A French inquiry said the crash, which killed 113 people, was caused by a metal strip from a Continental Airlines plane, which shredded one of the Concorde’s tires as it took off from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and caused the fire.

A judge should decide to accept or deny this request in the next few weeks.

Bits of the Concorde to be Auctioned Off

by Neil Woodburn on

Were it not for the iconic bent, needle nose, the Concorde would probably have been just another airplane. Sure, it flew at supersonic speeds and featured only First Class, but it was that funky bent nose that really hammered this extraordinary plane into the public psyche.

The Concorde, however, was finally retired in 2003 and with it disappeared a little piece of aviation history.

But not entirely.

Like any vestige of history these days, nostalgia has its value. Airplane enthusiast will be happy to learn that bits and pieces of the plane are to be auctioned off to the public; air speed indicators, oxygen masks, and landing gear, are just a few of the items for sale. Gadling readers will be excited to learn that a Concorde toilet seat will see the gavel as well. Sorry, but the needle noses were already sold a few years ago.