Concorde Runway Missed Inspection

Authorities investigating the July 25 Air France Concorde crash revealed that a preflight inspection of the jet’s runway was bumped because of a fire drill. When the Concorde lifted off from Charles de Gaulle Airport, the runway had not been inspected for more than 12 hours, investigators said. The inspection delay did not violate safety rules, and it was not immediately clear if it had any bearing on how a metal strip ended up on the runway that day. Authorities have said the metal piece probably gashed a jet tire, possibly triggering the events that led to the crash, which killed 113 people.