Last Days of the Concorde: The Crash of Flight 4590 and the End of Supersonic Passenger Travel

by Samme Chittum Narrated by Teri Barrington

Overview

The gripping true tale of a devastating plane crash, the investigation into its causes, and the race to prevent similar disasters in the future.

On July 25, 2000, a Concorde, the world's fastest passenger plane, was taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris when it suddenly burst into flames. An airliner capable of flying at more than twice the speed of sound, the Concorde had completed twenty-five years of successful flights, whisking wealthy passengers-from diplomats to rock stars to corporate titans-between continents on brief and glamorous flights. Yet on this fateful day, the chartered Concorde jet, en route to America, crashed and killed all 109 passengers and crew onboard and four people on the ground. Urgent questions immediately arose as investigators scrambled to discover what had gone wrong. What caused the fire? Could it have been prevented? And, most urgently, was the Concorde safe to fly? Last Days of the Concorde addresses these issues and many more, offering a fascinating insider's look at the dramatic disaster, the hunt for clues, and the systemic overhauls that followed the crash.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

10/08/2018
In this highly detailed history, Chittum (Southern Storm: The Tragedy of Flight 242) explores the only fatal crash of a Concorde luxury jet and the ensuing investigation. The book draws mostly on contemporaneous media accounts, chilling transcripts of cockpit conversations, and the final report of the French investigating body to tell of the Concorde’s short and tragic flight on July 25, 2000. The plane, engulfed in flames upon liftoff from Paris, crash-landed into a nearby hotel, killing all passengers and four hotel employees. The majority of the book details the forensic investigation following the crash, which concluded that debris glanced off a wing to rupture a fuel tank; the rest provides historical context for the Concorde in aviation history and considers where supersonic travel might go in the future. Overall, the book proves enlightening about the post-accident investigative process, showing “how happenstance and entropy can conspire to wreak havoc.” Chittum has a gift for making the complex details easily understandable. The level of detail (“airport workers had discovered a square 32-by-32 centimeter (12.5-by-12.5 in) piece of aluminum debris at 1,800 meters (5,905 ft.)—just 20 meters (66 ft) in front of where the fuel stain appeared”) may put some readers off. Nonetheless, this technical account is surprisingly gripping. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"[Last Days of the Concorde] proves enlightening about the post-accident investigative process, showing “how happenstance and entropy can conspire to wreak havoc.” Chittum has a gift for making the complex details easily understandable."

"Aviation may well be the most unforgiving of man’s activities. Yet rarely does just one failure or misjudgment cause an airplane to crash; instead it is a chain of events, any link of which might have prevented the disaster. The crash of a supersonic Concorde in France just after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle in Paris on July 25, 2000, is the subject of this excellent book by experienced reporter Samme Chittum, who has a wonderful knack for lucidly explaining tech for the uninitiated. Highly recommended for all aviation professionals and everyone fascinated by man’s reach for the sky." —Stephen Coonts, author of Flight of the Intruder and The Armageddon File

"A tragic crash during takeoff from Paris marked the beginning of the end for the Concorde. Chittum provides a compelling and detailed account of the crash, the ensuing investigation, and what was behind the decision to retire a majestic aircraft that was ahead of its time."—Joe Anselmo, Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171303204
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	02/26/2019
Series:	Air Disasters , #3
Edition description:	Unabridged

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