Air France Sues Continental in Concorde Crash

Air France and its insurers are suing U.S. carrier Continental Airlines over its possible role in the July crash of a Concorde jet as it took off from Paris, killing 114 people, a spokeswoman for the French carrier said. French investigators believe that a strip of metal fell off a Continental DC-10 and subsequently punctured a tire on the Air France Concorde, triggering the fiery crash. Continental said Tuesday that it was aware litigation was being prepared against it, but said investigations had yielded no definitive proof that a part from its DC-10 might have triggered the crash. The legal action was filed by Air France and its insurer, the Reunion Aerienne consortium, at a court in Pontoise, France. The Air France Concorde burst into flames as it roared down the runway at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Unable to abort takeoff, the pilot struggled to control the jet before it plunged into a nearby hotel, killing all aboard and four people on the ground. Shares of Houston-based Continental fell 69 cents to close at $45.94 on the New York Stock Exchange.