The Concorde, an aircraft once admired for its distinctive rumble and unique visual presence, is the subject of a recent television documentary, "Concorde Crash: Days That Shocked The World." While the documentary touches on the aircraft's history, its primary focus is the 2000 Air France Flight 4590 disaster at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, which resulted in 113 fatalities. The program received a two-star rating, with criticism leveled against its adherence to the official explanation and omission of alternative, albeit unproven, theories.
On July 25, 2000, the Concorde aircraft departed with 100 passengers and nine crew members. Shortly after takeoff, flames erupted from the engines on the left wing. The plane, unable to gain sufficient altitude, crashed, killing all on board and four people on the ground. The official investigation concluded that a piece of twisted titanium debris from a previously departed DC-10 aircraft on the runway ruptured a tire. This catastrophic tire failure, in turn, ruptured the fuel tank, igniting the fuel and causing the inferno.
For many of the bereaved families, news reports delivered the devastating news of their loved ones' deaths. Francine Quignon-Fleuret, daughter of flight engineer Gilles Jardinaud, recounted the pride her father felt at becoming a grandfather, a sentiment shared as she recalled the iconic image of the burning Concorde.
The documentary's analysis has been called into question for overlooking findings by British investigative journalist David Rose. Rose highlighted that Air France engineers had reportedly failed to replace a crucial spacer, a component necessary for maintaining wheel alignment, during servicing four days prior to the crash. The absence of this part, according to this theory, could have led to instability on the runway, evidenced by tire tracks found along the tarmac, which the documentary reportedly showed without further comment.
Additionally, the documentary did not mention the presence of French President Jacques Chirac in a jumbo jet on an adjacent taxiway at the time of the Concorde's takeoff. The potential for the Concorde to have veered towards this aircraft was not discussed.