On July 3, 2008, a French judge ordered Continental Airlines to stand trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the July 25, 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde supersonic. The crash killed 113 people, including all 109 people onboard, and four people on the ground.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/world/europe/03iht-concorde.4.14212317.html?_r=1 The Air France Flight 4590 of the Concorde was New-York bound, and crashed into the hotel La Patte d’Oie, which was completely destroyed as a result.http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/47021/ The fiery crash was even captured on video by the wife of a Spanish truck driver.http://www.guardian.co.uk/galleryguide/0,6191,347655,00.html

According to French investigators, the crash occurred in part because of a titanium strip that fell off a Continental Airlines DC-10. Investigators believed the plane punctured a tire on the Concorde during takeoff. The inquiry said debris from the blown tire then ruptured the Concorde's fuel tanks, thus causing the fire.http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/47021/ In addition to involuntary manslaughter charges against Continental Airlines, prosecutors also charged two Continental employees, two Concorde program employees, and a French civil aviation authority employee.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/world/europe/03iht-concorde.4.14212317.html?_r=1

On December 6, 2010, a French court released a verdict finding Continental Airlines and one of its employees guilty of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the July 2000 Concorde crash that killed 113 people. The court ruled that Continental Airlines' mechanic John Taylor must pay a fine of $2, 650, while the airline itself must pay a fine of $265,000. In addition, Taylor was given a 15-month suspended prison sentence. All other defendants, including one Continental employee and three French officials, were acquitted of all charges.http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/05/french-court-rule-concorde-crash/

According to the presiding judge, the titanium debris that fell off the Continental DC-10 five minutes prior to the Concorde crash was, indeed, responsible for it. Continental Airlines mechanic John Taylor was also found guilty of negligence in the maintenance of the titanium strip.http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/47021/ Continental's lawyer, Olivier Metzner, argued the plane was on fire before it hit the strip, maintaining that the court's ruling was to protect French business interests.http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1301291&srvc=business&position=recent

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