French Court Finds Welder And Continental At Fault In Fatal Concorde Crash

Back in 2000, the supersonic Concorde aircraft suffered a fatal crash that killed 113 people including a few on the ground. The fatal accident ended the service life of the Concorde. A French court has reached a verdict on the accident and has assigned blame for the accident to Continental Airlines and a welder that was on duty when the aircraft crashed.

The court found the airline and the mechanic guilty of involuntary manslaughter for their role in the fatal crash. The Concorde jet was operated by Air France. During take off a part punctured the tire of the jet and sent shrapnel into the fuel tanks resulting in a fire that caused the jet to crash.

The attorney for the welder named John Taylor said, "I do not understand how my client could be considered to have sole responsibility for the Concorde crash." The welder received a 15-month suspended prison sentence and the airline was fines 200,000 euros and is exposed to damages of untold millions that will be split between the families of the people who died in the accident.