PONTOISE, France — Continental Airlines Inc. and one of its mechanics were convicted in a French court of manslaughter Monday because debris from one of its planes caused the crash of an Air France Concorde jet that killed 113 people a decade ago.
The Houston-based airline was ordered to pay Air France euro1.08 million ($1.43 million) for damaging its reputation, in addition to a fine of around euro200,000 ($265,000). The victims of the crash were mostly German tourists.
The presiding judge confirmed investigators' long-held belief that titanium debris dropped by a Continental DC-10 onto the runway at Charles de Gaulle airport before the supersonic jet took off on July 25, 2000, was to blame. Investigators said the debris gashed the Concorde's tire, propelling bits of rubber into the fuel tanks and sparking a fire.
The plane then slammed into a nearby hotel, killing all 109 people aboard and four others on the ground.
Ronald Schmid, a lawyer who has represented several families of the German victims, said he was "skeptical" about the ruling.
Continental Verdict at Concorde Trial May Scare Future Air Crash Witnesses
French criminal investigations into airplane disasters such as the deadly July 2000 Concorde crash puts the flying public at risk by intimidating people with key information, lawyers and safety experts say.
Even if Continental Airlines Inc. and five individuals are cleared by judges in Pontoise, France, on Dec. 6 of manslaughter charges related to the crash that killed 113 people, witnesses may be reluctant to participate in the future for fear of being targeted by prosecutors.
“It has a chilling effect,” said James Hall, former chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. “I don’t think it does aviation safety any good.”
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