Runway Inspection Was Delayed Before Concorde Takeoff

Sept. 1 -- A fire drill delayed a routine inspection of the runway used by an Air France Concorde that crashed shortly after takeoff in July, French investigators said today.

All 109 people aboard and four on the ground were killed.

A preliminary report on the crash released Thursday said a metal strip found on the runway had likely burst one of the Concorde’s tires, triggering a chain of events that caused the plane to crash in flames less than two minutes after takeoff on July 25.

“There was a firemen’s drill and the runway inspection was postponed,” Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA), told a news conference today.

Arslanian said the 17-inch metal strip, bent at one end and punched with rivet holes, looked like an aircraft part. Its origin has not been established.

Since the beginning of the investigation, experts have speculated that the metal strip, painted red on one side and yellow on another, caused the tire to explode.

However, Arslanian cautioned against hasty conclusions and said the delay in the runway inspection did not necessarily have a bearing on the presence of the 17-inch metal strip.

“For the time being, nothing has been established. We needto understand what was done during the firemen’s exercise.”

The New York-bound Concorde carrying German tourists en route for a vacation plunged into a hotel less than two minutes after taking off from the Roisse-Charles de Gaulle airport.

Routine Inspections

Arslanian said airport staff routinely inspect the runway three times a day, but on July 25, a third check was postponed.

An inspection was carried out at 4.30 a.m., followed by a partial inspection of the west side of the runway at noon, which was followed by the fire drill.

The preliminary report, released on the Internet, said that during the takeoff, the front right tire of the main left undercarriage was destroyed, “very likely by passing over a piece of metal.” The report also contained a photograph of a shredded Concorde tire with a 12.60-inch tear.