Concorde Crash Probe Uncovers Extraneous Debris

P A R I S, Aug. 4 -- Debris not belonging to Air France’sdoomed Concorde was found on the runway after the supersonicairliner took off in flames last week, France’s AccidentInvestigation Bureau (BEA) said today.

In its most thorough statement to date on the July 25disaster, the BEA said it was now certain the fire seen trailingfrom the back of the Concorde as it left Paris’ Roissy-Charlesde Gaulle airport did not start in the engines.

It said investigators had found on the runway a 16 inch-long“thin metal strip” that did not come from the airliner. TheBEA also said one shred of tire from the Concorde had a“substantial cut” in it, but did not elaborate.

Tire Explosion Theory

The BEA has said previously that one of the Concorde’swheels burst as the plane hurtled down the tarmac, causingspeculation that debris from the burst punctured a fuel tank andsparked the catastrophic fire that later engulfed the jet.

However, the BEA refused to speculate today on what mighthave led to the crash, which killed all 109 people onboard andfour women on the ground.

“We have a certain number of new pieces to add to thepuzzle, but we are not in a position to interpret them or makeany hypotheses,” said a source close to the BEA, who declinedto be named.

The BEA’s statement said investigators had also recovereddebris on the runway from the Concorde’s wheel, landing gearwater deflector, a valve cover and fuel tank. No parts from theengines or wheel rim were found, it said.

All the debris was recovered around one mile down therunway, some 437 yards after the Concorde had gathered too muchmomentum to abort its take-off. Around the same place, soot wasfound on the tarmac, the BEA said.

Air France Concordes Still Grounded

“This statement seems to support those who think a bursttire caused the accident, but clearly the BEA is not convincedabout this scenario, otherwise it would have said so,” an AirFrance pilot told Reuters, declining to be named.