The supersonic airplane traveled at speeds of 1,350 miles per hour—twice the speed of sound—at altitudes of 60,000 feet. With round-trip fare across the Atlantic costing upward of $10,000, a trip on the Concorde was a symbol of prestige.

The Concorde had been one of the safest ways to travel, having no fatal incidents since its 1976 debut.

Air France Flight 4590 was scheduled to bring its 109 passengers and crewmembers from Paris to New York in three and half hours. At 4:42 p.m., on July 27, 2000, air traffic controllers cleared the flight for takeoff.

As the plane accelerated, its wheel struck a 16-inch piece of titanium, scattering tire debris that ruptured a fuel tank, resulting in a fire visible from the flight tower.

Air traffic control immediately notified pilots that the plane was on fire but, at over 200 miles per hour, the plane was traveling too fast to abort the takeoff. The pilots were forced to increase speed. 

Pilots struggled to control the plane’s ascent. “With the gear down and dragging on the plane’s aerodynamics, and with two engines apparently failing, the Concorde’s fate was sealed,” Time magazine reported.

About 90 seconds later, the plane crashed into ground, and its 30,000 gallons of fuel ignited immediately. All 109 people on board were killed, as were four people in a hotel hit by the plane.

Within weeks, British and French aviation regulators temporarily grounded all Concordes to make safety adjustments. The Concorde resumed flights but was discontinued permanently in 2003 for economic reasons.