Scrap of Metal Believed Key in Concorde Crash

A fuel leak that led to the fiery crash of an Air France Concorde jet was probably caused by a strip of metal left on the runway where the supersonic jet took off, investigators said Thursday.

The 16-inch metal piece probably punctured one of the jet’s tires, sending heavy chunks of rubber flying into the jet fuel tanks.

The debris--pieces of which weighed 9 pounds or more--was projected outward and damaged one or several fuel reservoirs on the plane’s left wing, causing “a very important fuel leak and fire,” the Transportation Ministry’s Accident and Inquiry Office said in a statement.

The statement, which said the plane was traveling at 195.5 mph when the tire burst, shed more light on why the Air France Concorde crashed July 25, plunging into a hotel and killing 114 people.

But it said that the exact chain of events remains to be determined and that experts still must confirm their theory that the 16-inch-long piece of metal was responsible. It also did not say where the metal might have come from.

Air France’s five remaining Concordes have been grounded since the crash, though British Airways’ fleet of seven continues to fly.

French Transportation Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot has said the Air France Concordes will not fly again until experts understand exactly what caused the accident.