v[MUSIC PLAYING]
How much fuel have we used?
NARRATOR: Flight engineer Gilles
Jirdanaud keeps a vigilant eye
on fuel consumption.
We've got 800 kilos.
NARRATOR: Concorde burns through
it at an astonishing rate.
In the short taxi to the
runway, the plane's four engines
have already used as much
fuel as the average car
uses in six months.
Booking a seat on the famed
jet requires deep pockets.
The return fare to New York
costs more than $9,000.
MAN: It was not something
unaffordable for those people
we had on board.
Some of them, I tell
you, they didn't even
know how much they were paying.
Air France 4590, runway
26 right clear for takeoff.
4590 cleared for
take off, 26 right.
NARRATOR: The tower controller
today is Gilles Longelin.
GILLES LONGELIN: I was stationed
in the southern control
tower, which has a very good
view over the two runways
that we use.
This day was the same as usual.
I gave him take-off clearance.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Four greens.
V1.
NARRATOR: The first officer
tells the captain they've
reached V1, or decision speed.
They're now going too
quickly abort the take-off.
MAN: You cannot stop anymore.
You have to go on.
You have to continue
take-off, whatever happens.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Watch out!
NARRATOR: Suddenly, the
plane begins veering left.
Stop!
NARRATOR: The flight
engineer urges the captain
to abort the takeoff.
But it's too late to stop.
[BUZZING]
Captain Marty lifts the
supersonic jet into the air.
Gilles Longelin realizes
he's now watching a disaster.
GILLES LONGELIN: This was a
very unexpected situation,
to see flames on
an aircraft that
is departing on the runway.
We don't have time to
lose, so immediately I
pushed the red button,
which is a button for alert.
[SIRENS]
4590, you have
flames behind you.
Roger.
NARRATOR: The plane
is engulfed in flames.
Failure, engine two.
Engine fire procedure.
NARRATOR: Captain
Marty struggles
for control as the engineer
shuts down the burning engine.
It activates a
fire extinguisher.
What's the airspeed?
NARRATOR: The plane's airspeed
is now dangerously low.
The airspeed?
The airspeed?
Something is happening.
Something that is not
covered by training.
Something that in a pilot's
career, you don't want to face.
NARRATOR: First
officer Marcot wants
to head for a nearby airport.
Le Borguet.
Le Bourget!
NARRATOR: But the crew can't
out-fly the fire that is
rapidly consuming their plane.
[SCREAMS]
The supersonic marvel
of modern aviation--
No.
[EXPLOSION]
NARRATOR: --slams
into an airport hotel.
Oh, mon dieu.
Like you see, kind of big--
like a big mushroom of smoke.
I think, until the
very last moments,
where I was thinking
that something
would save the situation.
