The creation and nearly 30-year operational life of the French/Anglo Concorde, the world’s first operational supersonic airliner, is a rich history of cross-border cooperation and innovation at a time long before the personal computer revolution or the first cell phone. In fact, the origins of the first supersonic transport (SST) date back to before the election of President John F. Kennedy in 1960.
Why Air France Really Stopped Flying the Concorde
Key Takeaways:
- The Concorde, the world's first operational supersonic airliner, had a nearly 30-year operational life built on cross-border cooperation until its single fatal accident in 2000.
- The Air France flight 4590 crash is commonly attributed to runway debris slicing a tire and igniting fuel, but a retired Concorde pilot, John Hutchinson, offers a "Swiss cheese calamity" explanation.
- Hutchinson's analysis suggests the accident resulted from a perfect storm of multiple contributing factors, not a single cause.
- Key issues he uncovered include a pre-existing landing gear problem, an unqualified crewmember, an overloaded aircraft with an incorrect center of gravity, a damaged runway, and the captain attempting liftoff before reaching flying speed.
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