French court overturns Concord conviction

[densoo]

PARIS — A French appeals court on Thursday overturned the involuntary manslaughter convictions against Continental Airlines for its role in the crash in 2000 of an Air France Concorde jet outside Paris that killed 113 people and hastened the end of commercial supersonic travel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/b...t-overturns-conviction-in-concorde-crash.html

 

[densoo]

A tragic accident, but if a plane cannot takeoff or stop after a tire fails then there's something wrong with its certification.

 

[ultrarunner]

I think it had more to do with the wing on fire, etc....than a flat tire!

 

[kf4amu]

A tragic accident, but if a plane cannot takeoff or stop after a tire fails then there's something wrong with its certification.

It did takeoff.

 

[densoo]

It did takeoff.

I thought to say "safely" would have been assumed for certification. But then maybe not.

 

[densoo]

I think it had more to do with the wing on fire, etc....than a flat tire!

The tire burst throwing debris into the wing. Certification should cover a tire failure to include predictable outcomes of it failing.

"During the Concorde's subsequent take-off run, this piece of debris, still lying on the runway, cut a tyre, rupturing it. The sudden disruption of the centripetal force holding the tyre together sent debris flying about. A large chunk of this debris (4.5 kilograms or 9.9 pounds) struck the underside of the aircraft's wing structure at an estimated speed of 500 kilometres per hour (310 mph). Although it did not directly puncture any of the fuel tanks, it sent out a pressure shockwave that eventually ruptured the number five fuel tank at the weakest point, just above the undercarriage. Leaking fuel gushing out from the bottom of the wing was most likely to have been ignited by an electric arc in the landing gear bay or through contact with severed electrical cables. At the point of ignition, engines one and two both surged and lost all power, but engine one slowly recovered over the next few seconds. A large plume of flame developed; the Flight Engineer then shut down engine two, in response to a fire warning and the Captain's command.

Post-accident investigation revealed that the aircraft was just at, if not exceeding, maximum takeoff weight for ambient temperature and other conditions, and up to one ton over maximum structural weight. As it left the gate, it was loaded such that the centre of gravity was excessively aft. Fuel transfer during taxi may have overfilled the number five wing tank.

 

[densoo]

Certification should cover a tire failure to include predictable outcomes of it failing.

And not only predictable, but previously demonstrated, and therefore foreseeable and preventable. The company and the French/Euro 'FAA' totally failed to fix this problem. But then, UAL removes secondary cockpit barriers with nary a word from the FAA.

"13 June 1979: The number 5 and 6 tyres blew out during a takeoff from Washington, D.C. Dulles Airport. Fragments thrown from the tyres and rims damaged number 2 engine, punctured three fuel tanks, severed several hydraulic lines and electrical wires, in addition to tearing a large hole on the top of the wing, over the wheel well area."