UK News 16-08-2000 Concorde Fleet Grounded Indefinitely who: British Airways what: Ground all Concordes following evidence from Paris crash where: HEATHROW AIRPORT when: Yesterday snippet: "British Airways grounded its Concorde fleet indefinitely yesterday," reports The Express, "amid fears that the supersonic jets may never fly again." "The ageing aircraft`s airworthiness certificates will be cancelled today," says Charles Arthur, Technology Editor of The Independent, "in the wake of the investigation into last month`s crash of an Air France Concorde." The crashing of Flight AF4590 from Charles de Gaulle airport in Gonesse, Paris on July 25th, which claimed the lives of 113 people, "is believed to have been caused by a small strip of metal on the runway which punctured a tyre," reports The Times. "Flying debris then pierced a fuel tank, causing the fires that brought the aircraft down. Today`s findings are expected to focus on the close proximity of the tyres and fuel tanks, which is thought to increase the risk of ruptures if a tyre bursts". Last night, a BA Concorde flew back from New York to London with only crew on board to join the six other aircraft in the airline`s main maintenance and engineering hanger. BA will now have to decide whether costly modifications to the planes would be commercially viable. "Changes will have to be made to the tyres," says a Civil Aviation Authority spokesman in The Sun. "It could also involve the airframe being strengthened to withstand tyre explosion." [... more]

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