The REAL story About the Crash that Killed Concorde! | Air France flight 4590 

DC-10, a plane so troubled that when it’s not crashing itself it’s crashing others.

One of my classmates died in that flight. We were 8 at the time, so when our teacher told us that he wouldn't be back after the holidays, we didn't really grasp it and just were sad about him dying. Since this was before the wide spread of the internet and we were kids, I never knew the details of the crash until I accidentally stumbled over this video today. His last moments must have been so horrifying. His name was Michael Kahle, he just finished 2nd grade, loved soccer (especially Borussia Mönchengladbach and trading soccer cards) and joked a lot. I think, I'll pay his grave a visit soon.

Ahh the DC-10. Not only dangerous to itself, but dangerous to every other plane around it. I remember the news report as a kid. Even if it was expensive, it was such a beautiful plane.

This episode and your episode on Tenerife are some of the finest aviation documentaries I've ever watched, seriously better than many I've seen on TV.

Almost didn’t watch it ,seeing that it was 37 mins and I had read about this crash .But once I started ,stayed glued and did not skip a second .Beautifully explained.

My wife and I were flying Air France from Munich to London with about a 2 hour layover in Paris. As we waited, we talked to a few of the other passengers waiting to catch their flights. Some were going to London with us. Others were headed for Copenhagen. One American couple and one German couple we talked with were going to fly to New York. We boarded before the other flights. As we walked down the entryway we could see our plane to the left. To the right boarding later we could see the sleek Concorde. We commented that it was too bad we could not fly the Concorde to London, then laughed that we were taking the poor man’s plane. We arrived in London and stayed at a bed and breakfast. We told the hosts we flew in from Paris. They turned the TV on and it was showing coverage of the crash of the SST. To this day I remember that my first thoughts were that we had talked to people that were on that flight and that our plane could have been the one with the tragic ending.

My best friend called me in Miami and asked me what my opinion was on Concorde... I'm an aviator at heart and was active pilot there at the time... He then opened up to me, he had just lost both his parents, his sister, her life partner and their young son plus 1 more... father was a successful bus entrepreneur contracting line bus services to the City of Munich. Liebe Familie S., RIP

As someone who owns several bikes and forgot a spacer or two on reassemble - the tremendous stakes riding on each and every component in aircrafts never cease to amaze.

My one and only Concorde flight was on this exact same aircraft with the exact same crew 1 month before the crash. I'll never forget the beautiful, elegant flight attendant in her pearl necklace. After lunch was served she learned I was a travel agent with a group on board and she invited me to the flight deck Mid-Atlantic to meet the Captain. (Remember, this was pre-9/11 when you could do that.)

I started flying at age 16 and recently retired from aviation at age 72 and your series is the BEST of its kind that I've encountered in accuracy, clarity, depth, and content. Exceptional sir! Exceptional!

One small detail which was missed out was the day Concord did it's first test flight with the new modifications was September 11, 2001. The Concord flew from the UK, over the Atlantic and then back to the UK. The pilots only realised about the terrorist attacks when they returned. The biggest tragedy in the Concord story was that when it was announced they were folding, everybody wanted tickets to fly Concord again and the last flight was sold out. Thanks for your detailed explanation.

I was working at a major airline res center during this time, and I remember walking past the break room to see dozens of people standing and watching the TV in horror. I thought "Oh no, there's been a crash." Absolutely awful day. We all felt so terrible for those aboard the aircraft and everyone at Air France.

my dad flew on the concorde once from London to New York. He said it took only about 4 hours and it was basically all first class. The cutlery was all real silver and he said it got really hot during takeoff and landing. I wish they'd bring it back so I can fly on it one time... what a magnificent piece of work...

My wife's aunt was aboard the Concorde that crashed. We were in close contact with her. We frequently visited each other both in Germany and here in Minnesota. She had called us the day before and told us that she was on her way to an Amazon River Cruise and would be changing planes in New York. The group was too large to all fly on the Concorde so the tour group had a lottery to select those who would fly on the Concorde. My wife's aunt won a seat. She was very excited and sent us her itinery. We were close to her and shared her excitment. We were thinking of her as we saw a news flash on the TV about the crash. It was a real shock. It happened so fast, we hope she was drinking Champagne at the time. Air France called my wife and made arrangements for her to meet the Air France "consoler" who accompanied her to the fumeral in Munich. We miss her so very much.

I took the same route from France at a different time. 1986 Service was fantastic. I was able to go up with the pilots and get some instructions on how they flew the Concorde. I really didn’t want the trip to end.

How awful for all those people on that flight 😓 I find anything like this horrifying. And difficult to comprehend - a little strip of metal on the runway led to this horrific outcome in 2 minutes. Scary. Thank you for the upload, your detail and compassion is evident.

This one made me more sad that any other story, not only did a lot of people tragically lose their lives in a horrible and totally avoidable accident...... it was the beginning of the end of the flying career of probably the greatest, the most glamorous, the most famous, the most beautiful and iconic aircraft in aviation history.

I was on the flight (Paris to Dulles) that was to take off immediately after flight 4590. Wife and I had waited to board with the passengers. We were boarding when the accident happened and the passenger behind me saw it happen. That was one quiet ride to DC.

Having just read the book by the former BA chief Concord pilot I think there's only one important fact missing in this excellent video and that's that the pierced tank should not have been completely full. That was a procedure sometimes done to get more fuel on board but it allowed the mentioned shock induced movement within the tank that eventually led to it bursting. That one was on the crew/PIC.

Very interesting video. I have worked quite some time in the Air France family crisis centers for the Concorde crash, both in Paris and in Germany ( as most victims were German and i speak both languages ). It was quite taxing emotionally to talk to the families of the deceased in the hours, weeks and months following the crash. Oddly i never looked into the various reports and videos about that crash. I think because at the time i would have seem it as morbid curiosity. Finally decades later I’m looking at this video… Strange feeling

When I was seven years old, I was given a tour of a Concorde on the ground at Dulles Airport. I never flew on the plane, but I did get to meet the captain and even go into the cockpit. About six months later, a friend of my dad’s had me as a passenger in his Cessna. We were cleared for takeoff when we were told to hold because a Concorde needed to go in front of us. I still remember what it was like seeing it pull up, and then the afterburners glowing as it went into the sky. I also remember that the angle of launch was more like a rocket than an airplane.

What's really sad about this crash is whole families were wiped out. Children, parents, and grandparents. What a tragedy. People here in the USA paid their respects by dropping 113 flower boats into a South Florida canal.

I remember being in the paris airport seeing the concorde take off, which was amazing to watch. Then a few years later this tragedy occurred and pretty much put an end to its legacy. You did a great job of putting this report together, thanks

You are one of the most amazing story tellers. I've seen and read material on many of the crashes you cover, but i still can't stop watching your videos. Heading out from a pilots perspective is amazing. And the way you tell the stories makes it even better.

My uncle was part of this investigation as one of the engineers for the tire manufacturer. It was the most stressful period of his life. The closer you push any complex system to the edges of it's engineering margins, the less fault tolerant that system becomes, and the more likely a failure will be catastrophic. this crash and loss of life deeply affected people al over the world. The concord was such a marvel of engineering.

The hotel was virtually empty because a youth orchestra (or choir...I can't remember which) from Suffolk, UK, was booked to arrive that day and fill up the entire hotel. However, they were 30 minutes late to arrive. I know this because my father organised and lead the trip and he was on one of the three coaches due to arrive at the hotel that day. Thank goodness they were running late otherwise it would have been an even bigger tragedy than it already was.

I’m pretty sure I’ve watched every single video of yours, I’m so fascinated with why and how air crashes happen. Nobody explains it better than you.. I wait eagerly for each video to come out. Thank you for all your work that you put into each video.

Despite the piece of DC10 metal that has been blamed for the disaster it's less reported that maximum take off weight had been exceeded and this was known by the crew on the flight deck who ignored that fact, shoddy maintenance and poor procedures by the crew also contributed to the crash. The French authorities were very quick to blame Continental.

Pilots giving their all to the very end always gets to me. Never giving up. Such bravery that needs more attention. My heart goes out to all lives lost and their families.

I feel Honored I once flew London - NYC in 1991. I took it after saving up because I thought I would splurge just the once to experience arriving before I left. I recall sitting in a very low to the floor bucket seat rather like a sports car, that it was a remarkable feeling being pressed back as we broke the sound barrier. My forebears crossed in Ships that took days and now here I was doing a once in a lifetime thing in a few hours. I am naturally always horrified by fatal crashes, but this one in particular hurt my heart. May their memories be a blessing to those left behind. 🙏🏻

Your work is incredibly well researched, prepared and delivered. That’s a very impressive video. Thank you.

Another great video from Mentour Pilot and a tragic end to surely, the most beautiful aircraft ever seen. I was so fortunate to have had a tour of the facilities where the Concordes were being built at the time. For those who have never seen the actual plane, it was very tall, but small (to me)! I recall that inside the passenger cabin (mock up) it was akin to the upstairs of a UK double-decker bus but smaller, with pronounced curved walls and tiny windows. Interesting footnote at the end about the report appendix where you said that the French effectively witheld information from the UK team. Never heard that before.

I flew as a private pilot (1200 hours/300 instrument). As part of my own learning/safety procedure, I got the accident reports (available free to anyone) published by the US feds after every aircraft accident. Fascinating reading which hopefully made me a safer pilot. This report was one of the best I've ever seen.

As a professional pilot of over 41 years, mostly on international jets I have to say this was one was one of the best I have ever watched. Well done!

This was an excellent assessment of the Concorde tragedy. I saw the Concorde fly low over Rhode Island on its way to landing at T.F. Green Airport around 1989. It was a beautiful sight to witness the plane come in low and relatively slow while making its approach.

I've watched quite a few videos about this accident, but not a single one was as thorough and well made as this one! Fantastic work you did here (and in your other videos of course :)

I'm no aviation expert but I found this video completely understandable, very well explained and oh, how tragic. I was a teenager when the Concorde began to fly and my French class flew on it from Washington D.C. to Paris, although I did not go with them. What a shame that this innovative means of travel came to such an abrupt and terrible end, so many lives lost.

There is a retired Concorde parked at the Museum of Flight (along with the JFK Air Force 1) in Seattle. As an engineer I can appreciated the design and engineering of the Concorde, and marvel at the cooperation of the French and the British in its realization. Fine job by the pilot describing the events. Well done.

I always felt it was such a pity that the Concorde was grounded but your explanation makes me have a better understanding why it was

Im not an aviation nerd but ever since i started watching your channel ive never once complained about flight delays

There is also a really good analysis of this accident with a chap called John Hutchinson, who is a former Concorde pilot. The cruise ship they were due to go on was ultimately bound for Sydney for the Olympics in September of that year.

My mom flew this same route on the Concorde a couple years before this accident. Other than the obvious reason I’m glad this didn’t happen to her, she was a Gulfstream 3 and 4 pilot at the time, so she would have been fully aware how doomed this flight was at the sight of the massive flames. RIP to the 113 people lost that day.

This is the first time I have heard a detailed and very clear, concise explanation of of flight 4590 and it comes from a Pilot's perspective! I personally remember so clearly that event and it was tragic for those lost and their families and at the same time for the whole body of people connected to Concorde. It was the pinnacle of Aeronautical Engineering of it's time.

Your videos are so informative and fascinating. You tell the story so well and I will be here for more content.

Hands down the most well produced video on the Concord disaster.

One of the things I love about these videos is I feel like I'm being spoken with, rather than instructed. It feels like a conversation, not a lecture. Well done, Captain. Thank you.

Absolutely awesome video detailing a horrible tragedy. I learned a lot and greatly appreciate you posting this. Videos of this quality are few and far between on RU-vid. Easily one of the best crash investigation videos I’ve ever seen. Amazing work. Thanks again!

I just found out this excellent channel and I want to thank you very much for sharing your precious knowledge. I’m a big fan of Mayday episodes, I like to be uptaded with what’s going on with the aviation industry and airplane disasters, and you are doing an excelent work, you detailed everything and that’s what makes the difference to me, and your knowledge as a pilot it’s a must have. I know everything can happen and it’s more complicated than it seems regarding airplane crashes, but definitely as long as it’s flown by a competent crew and maintained by competent mechanics that is the difference. Wishing you smooth sailings through clear blue skyes!

I shall never forget this crash...such a disaster....on so many levels. I also read the story of a girl who jumped out of the hotel window as the Concorde crashed the building, escaping with just a foot fracture if I remember it well. horrible times for for so many people and horrible times for the aviation history! thanks for sharing

I remember the Concorde fondly. I had the opportunity to experience it on a daily basis when I worked at JFK airport during the 1980s. Takeoff time is seared into my consciousness to this very day. 2pm everyday . Takeoffs literally shook the entire airport as well as the neighborhoods around the airport for miles in every direction

I retired two years ago after a 40 year career in aviation, thirty three years at Continental/United Airlines. It’s needless to say but in this case I will; I’ve read a lot of accident investigations during my career and I am completely impressed with your presentation! Keep up the good work!

I think I recall a former Concorde pilot saying that the shutting down of the engine by the flight engineer doomed the plane as there was insufficient airspeed, and even a burning engine provides some thrust.

If I remember correctly a whole family passed at this flight. A millionaire father invited his whole family including wife, his adult daughter, his son in law and his grandchildren to celebrate his birthday on a cruise ship. The family was completely wiped out. I was 22 back then and cried when reading this story.

I lived in Colnbrook very close to Heathrow. Virtually every afternoon Concorde took off and flew over my rear garden. I would often rush out and watch the beautiful British Airways Concorde soaring gracefully into the air. When they were grounded I missed my giddy schoolboy moments racing out to watch this amazing plane. So sad for all concerned.

Loved the video and how you handled the tragedy. Also enjoyed your lack of the typical 'like and subscribe' at the end, and subtle nod visually while still offering more info. Got yourself a lifetime sub here

Incredibly beautiful plane. My family and I flew it London-Washington in Feb 1982. So sad that it ended the way it did. Thank you for your detailed video.

My father took my brother & I to London Heathrow Airport in 1977 so we could see Concorde taking off. A fantastic childhood memory. Beautiful plane. Thank you as always for such an informative, engaging & respectful production. R.I.P. to those onboard and on the ground. So very sad.

I must have watched dozens of videos about the Concorde, but you managed to teach me some new interesting details. Thank you!

Glad you mention about the missing spacer - there was also a 'mudguard' thing that BA fitted, but AF didn't

This was so good that I am going to watch some more vids. Keep it up 👍

Your concise narrative of this accident adds to the coverage of this disaster. The crew understanding of their aircraft was displayed to the very end, kudos for the attempts made by them to save that flight.

An amazing story, with such a tragic end. I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days in 1991 with Andre Turcat, the test pilot for the Concorde. He headed a safety review of the airport at Madeira and I was on the review committee. I had recently earned my flight instructor rating and was curious as to how one goes about flight testing such a one-of-a-kind aircraft. Speaking a minimal amount of French, he expressed appreciation that I was at least trying to speak the language and patiently gave me insights on how they tested the Concorde.

This explanation is amazingly detailed and made easy for laypeople to understand. Thank you.

You’re videos are great. You explain in detail all facts which really gives a proper explanation of the incidents of the accidents. Please continue to properly educate myself and the public about what really happened. Good luck I look forward to learning more about the aviation industry from your informed explanations of these events.

I have never heard a more detailed explanation of a plane crash and what went wrong. If I fly I want this man to be my pilot!

As always, gut wrenching when the crew does everything right and are doomed out of pure happenstance. Rip to all those people and amazing coverage. You’re by far my favorite aviation channel and always do these justice

Thank you so much for this very informative video. Sadness for all the lives lost and a huge piece of aviation history...

I really enjoy this series. You don't sensationalize anything, it's all fact based, and you treat it as a learning experience. I hope you're okay with doing this series as well. The topic of deeply exploring accidents of your fellow pilots cannot be easy. I saw a lot of sadness in your eyes after talking about the loss of life. I just wanted to say that I appreciate the videos and at the same time, I hope that they aren't a mental burden to produce. Take care of yourself! Thanks for the content :)

I was born in the summer of 1965, my Dad was RAF and working out of Farnborough when I was 3-5, I remember the sonic BOOM of Concordes 1st "flight" I remember My Dad telling me to remember this day as it was very special. I remember this terrible incident in Paris 30yrs later, I am saddened to this day.

Thank you, thank you so much for covering this accident. This is my favourite plane, and this incident broke my heart. Rest in peace to all of the victims and my heart goes out to all affected ❤❤

The detail and clarity with which he explains these accidents is incredible.

Sad fact is a broken part from the most infamous aircraft destroyed the most famous. The broken wires idea doesn't fit because it would have triggered an alarm in the systems.

We've all known about this accident for years, so it rather caught me by surprise when at the moment of the crash I started to cry as if it happened yesterday. It's a terrible and wonderful thing that you can bring these to life for us. Thank you.

Wonderfully informative short documentary film of this tragic air disaster. Thank you for your research work into this superb production.

Great video and love your style of presentation. Well done and thanks.

Very well summarised and compelling narrative. The graphics were exceptional including Terminal 1 (“Moonraker”) at CDG airport. I sadly remember this very well - was in a Paris office on the day and was the first to advise local colleagues of the sad events. CDG the day after was a very somber place on my return. Years later I watched a Concorde landing for the final time at Manchester from the office window. A truly great aircraft - sincere condolences to those affected by the tragic event.

I flew BAW Concode from JFK to Heathrow in late spring 1985. My only reference point to the magnificent aircraft was from docufilms and photographs. I imagined it to be much larger than it was, however, it was not a disappointment in any way. I was blown away by this marvel of aviation engineering and couldn't stop bragging about it upon my return to the U.S. I took pictures from the waiting area, inside, the azure sky during transit, and the London approach. The service, needless to say, was superb. I still have some of the stationary and pens that were given to all passengers which I used as part of my bragging to various friends and family. I remember exactly where I was when the news broke out telling of the terrible fate of that flight. I was not very communicative that day at work. I also didn't mention to any of my colleagues that I had flown Concorde before. I don't know why, but deep down inside, I thought that the victims, as well as the Concorde, demanded my solemn prayers and silence. On my way home I stopped by a liquor store and purchased a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, the same champagne I drank plenty of in route, and drank one glass in honor of the lost passengers, crew, and plane. The rest was left on the mantle until it went flat.

I enjoyed the video. Thank you for the information. Easy to listen to you talking.

This is incredibly amazing to watch..my think missing is the right background and suspenseful movie like music

I lived in Feltham, Middlesex, from 1985 to 2008. We were quite close to Heathrow Airport and I remember that when we first moved, we were astonished by how loud the Concorde was when it took off and landed!! The takeoff was a lot louder than the landing. Twice a day it took off and we got used to it after a while. We became familiar with the timetable!! Visitors were always shocked at the noise though!! We would see it sometimes when we drove past the airport, either in the hanger or just outside. It was such a shock when this happened. Sad as well, for all the people that perished, and the end of the Concorde. Yes, I know it flew again after this, but it never recovered its former glory.

I think the number of comments indicate just how well this was explained and put together considering you also go into the engineering of the aircraft and helping the lay person understand. So we’ll done for that. I watched this because I always wondered what happened to Concorde as I was a child at the time of the crash and why it disappeared completely and you covered all the bases.loved it.

Brillaint video production, superb graphics and outstanding presentation skulls

subscribed. because of high quality content and your passion

Sat in our plane at Heathrow while a Concorde taxied beside us and took off. Our entire plane was shaking all the time, it sounded insane and amazing. You remember that plane if you've been near it.

When i was studying aeronautical engineering i went to a lecture by the AAIB on this accident. One thing they covered was the significant impact fuel ingestion had on the performance of the left engines. Apparently the engines were rated for a given continuous rate of raw fuel ingestion through the intake and on test they were unable to make the engines surge using this constant rate and they could not understand why the engines were surging. It turned out that the change in airflow during rotation caused a large gulp of fuel to be ingested, sort of like throwing a bucket at it. This gulp limit was far lower than the constant flow limit and was something of a shock to the investigators as the engines failed quite easily like this. They also discussed the tyre and a whole load of other things. ALl in all, it was a very interesting lecture and your video hits all the major points they raised perfectly.

Excelent video! May all those souls rest in peace.

I watched similar documentary about the Concorde accident (seconds to disaster / air crash investigation from NGC or DC) Your explanation and graphic effective are more comprehensive than previous document👍 It is awesome a small team able to produce such high quality of investigation series

The tire issue was always known, since the inception of the project and was heavily researched. Using self-sealing fuel tanks was never an option due to weight and fuel capacity restrictions, however in hindsight fuel tanks 5,6,7 and 8 should've included an internal rubber seal-baffle to minimize the rate of fuel loss to something the aircraft could survive. As it was, fuel tank 6 (a transfer tank that does not feed the engines directly) was likely damaged with at least a 6 inch wide, 10 inch long section torn out. The impact energy was extremely high, indicating a substantial disintegration of the entire (belted) tire - the impact momentum was shown to be beyond the worst case scenario modeled during design. It should be noted the tire fitted to the aircraft differed significantly from the tire anticipated during the evaluation phase. A reflected shockwave likely occurred within 1/10th of a second and we believe the rupture subsequently grew due to aerodynamic stress and heat induced pressurization in the number 6 tank. Fuel tank 2 was likely not penetrated. Subsequent to the disaster, fuel tanks 5, 6, 7 and 8 received rubber layering on the lower, internal face of the tanks to control fuel loss in the event of a repeat incident. Ideally a suitable tire would either not disintegrate at all, or would disintegrate in such a way that low mass debris could be effectively deflected; any incidental fragments would lack the inertia to penetrate the skin of the aircraft. Unfortunately this development effort was abandoned after Concorde entered service; probably when it became apparent that Concorde would not be built in large enough quantities to justify a continuation of the research. As a point of interest, Rolls Royce was working on the design for a new engine that would allow Concorde to take off and climb without reheat (Concorde was always capable of super-cruise). This too was halted due to lack of interest. Had such an engine been developed I believe son-of-Concorde, would still be gracing our skies today. Concorde was already close to end-of-life when the accident occurred. There wasn't enough research done into long term thermal fatigue, but for reference I can't recall any supersonic fighter with an air frame lifespan that could compare to Concorde (certainly in respect of supersonic flight hours) - it was a spectacularly good design that proved more durable than we ever thought possible. At the time the last Concorde was withdrawn, all the fuselages were within 5 years of reaching the point they could not be maintained further. We did model the accident flight to see if the pilots could've done anything differently that might've minimized the deaths - this modelling was not included in the final report as it was considered too contentious. Our view, at the time, was that the flight should've been abandoned when the runway yaw was experienced. Even so, the chances of a successful evacuation were low. Once the aircraft became airborne, her fate was inevitable.

Christian Marty was the captain of this flight. He was an adventurer too : In 1982 he was the first man to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean on a sailboard.

I had no clue that the Concorde was developed in the 60's ... And flew into the early 2000's , thats hella impressive that such a plan was built back then . Great video

Those 37mins flew by so fast. I stumbled upon this video and i have to say it was so engaging and interesting. Thoughts go out to the loss of lives indeed.

I still recall being in the hotel - Les Relais Bleus - exactly a year after. First time in Paris near Disneyland. Hotel tickets were cheap and before we left we couldn't figure out why. There was a fence around a collapsed building, and the hotel images showed two buildings still. Two days into our holiday we left for Disneyland, seeing buses with relatives of those that died coming in for the 1-year anniversary of the Concorde crash. Can't remember a thing about Disneyland, but that hotel is written in my memory.

I'm not particularly interested in aviation or plane crashes but I LOVE listening to someone who knows what they're talking about, and does it with passion and excitement. Great channel!

Brilliantly explained, thank you Petter. So very sad this, it was doomed from the start.

Just the great story explained in the simple words about this tragedy! Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!

Petter's facial expression at 27:37 says it all really! Doing these episodes especially where such large loss of life is involved cannot be easy and we thank you Petter for putting your feelings aside and producing such informative and educational content. Concorde was one of the aircraft I always dreamt of flying on when I was younger, I had the chance in 2001 when I was working with a colleague who's dad used to be an ex-BA Captain and could get us some tickets. Unfortunately a family event changed my plans and then 9/11 happened in September of that year which was pretty much the final blow for this magnificent aircraft.

When DC-10 is not crashed, it kills another plane...

Incredibly narrated, visually astonishing, extremely informative, cognitively stimulating, and POSITIVELY AMAZING!!!!! Your life is going to change because you are going to get HUGE!!!!

Better than the title suggests! Anytime REAL is used in caps - it usually isn't... Great video! Broadcast quality!

I remember the Concorde crash, but this episode was crucial to understand today what happened during that terrible flight. Thanks, Mentour Pilot.