Ep 11. The Plane That Flew Too High

The episode "The Plane That Flew Too High" is the 11th episode of season 2 of the show AIR DISASTERS. The episode takes a look at the tragic crash of Flight 4590, a Concorde model, on July 25, 2000, in Paris, France. This episode explores how a single mistake by one of the engines during takeoff led to the death of all 109 passengers and crew members on board.

The episode begins by setting the scene and describing the Concorde plane. The Concorde was a joint project between the French and British governments, designed in the 1960s to be a supersonic transport plane. It was a symbol of luxury and innovation in air travel, attracting some of the wealthiest travelers in the world.

The episode then moves on to describe the events leading up to the crash. The Concorde Flight 4590 was carrying mostly German passengers on their way to New York for a luxury cruise. As the plane was taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, one of its engines hit a small metal strip on the runway. This sent debris flying into another engine, causing it to fail as well. With two engines down, the plane was unable to continue its ascent and crashed into a nearby hotel.

The episode then goes into detail about the investigation that followed the crash. The French authorities quickly determined that a metal strip had caused the accident and identified the source of the strip as a piece of debris that had fallen off of a Continental Airlines DC-10 that had taken off earlier. The DC-10 had been fitted with a different type of engine than the Concorde, and the metal strip was a result of this incompatible wiring.

The French authorities then focused their investigation on the actions of the Continental Airlines maintenance team. They found that the team had used a forklift to move the metal strip onto the runway, instead of using a proper truck designed specifically for this purpose. This resulted in the metal strip being positioned incorrectly and ultimately causing the crash.

The episode then explores the aftermath of the crash. The incident led to a temporary grounding of all Concorde planes, and ultimately the planes were taken out of service altogether. The crash also resulted in significant changes to the aviation industry, with new regulations put in place to improve safety and reduce the risk of similar accidents. The episode concludes with a touching tribute to the victims of Flight 4590.

Overall, "The Plane That Flew Too High" is a thought-provoking and emotional episode of AIR DISASTERS. It provides valuable insight into the causes of the crash and the impact it had on the aviation industry. The episode also highlights the importance of proper maintenance and safety procedures in aviation, and the consequences that can result from a single mistake.