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| Five to face Concorde crash trial | Five to face Concorde crash trial |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| US airline Continental and five people will stand trial over the 2000 Concorde crash near Paris which killed 113 people, French judicial officials say. | US airline Continental and five people will stand trial over the 2000 Concorde crash near Paris which killed 113 people, French judicial officials say. |
| The five are said to be two employees of Continental Airlines, two from Concorde maker Aerospatiale, and the French civilian aviation authority. | The five are said to be two employees of Continental Airlines, two from Concorde maker Aerospatiale, and the French civilian aviation authority. |
| The trial, expected to take place in 2009, could last two to three months. | The trial, expected to take place in 2009, could last two to three months. |
| The plane caught fire after its tyres were punctured by a piece of metal on the runway from a Continental plane. | The plane caught fire after its tyres were punctured by a piece of metal on the runway from a Continental plane. |
| Continental has said it would fight any charges in the case. | Continental has said it would fight any charges in the case. |
| Accident inquiry | Accident inquiry |
| Rubber from the tyres ruptured the plane's fuel tanks shortly after take-off from Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport. | Rubber from the tyres ruptured the plane's fuel tanks shortly after take-off from Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport. |
| A French accident inquiry in 2004 found that the strip of metal had fallen on the runway from a Continental Airlines DC-10 that took off just before the Concorde flight. | A French accident inquiry in 2004 found that the strip of metal had fallen on the runway from a Continental Airlines DC-10 that took off just before the Concorde flight. |
| Advertisement | Advertisement |
| Emergency services at the scene of the Concorde crash in 2000 | Emergency services at the scene of the Concorde crash in 2000 |
| It is claimed that the metal was titanium, when safety rules dictated it should have been aluminium which is softer, and less likely to puncture tyres. | It is claimed that the metal was titanium, when safety rules dictated it should have been aluminium which is softer, and less likely to puncture tyres. |
| It is also claimed that Concorde's fuel tanks had a design defect that made them susceptible to damage. | It is also claimed that Concorde's fuel tanks had a design defect that made them susceptible to damage. |
| All 109 people on board the Concorde flight and four people on the ground were killed. | All 109 people on board the Concorde flight and four people on the ground were killed. |
| The disaster began the process which led to all Concordes being taken out of service. | |
| Charges | Charges |
| The trial follows a recommendation by prosecutors in March that charges be brought. | The trial follows a recommendation by prosecutors in March that charges be brought. |
The five accused are:
| The five accused are:
|