Concorde inquiry resumes despite asbestos worries

PARIS (Reuters) -- The inquiry into the crash of an Air France Concorde near Paris has resumed after being suspended for seven days after the discovery of traces of asbestos among the debris, police said.

Investigators resumed picking through the remains of the supersonic aircraft, which crashed on July 25 shortly after take-off from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport en route to New York, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground.

Recovery of the aircraft's engines was completed on Wednesday, a spokesman for the air transport police said.

Investigators are still trying to pin down the exact sequence of events that brought down the airliner. However, they are focusing on a burst tyre that is believed to have hurled debris into a fuel tank which then caught fire.

Authorities had been waiting for a precise analysis of asbestos traces found on the tubing and motor coating of the Concorde before resuming their work on the site of the accident in Gonesse, six km southwest of the airport.

VIDEO The Concorde flying while on fire was caught on amateur video Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

The systematic raking of the area would resume on Thursday, the police spokesman said.

Asbestos traces were discovered on three out of 20 samples. However, the level of particles was below the guidelines established for the protection of workers against health risks linked to the inhalation of asbestos dust, he added.

The asbestos traces were found both on the site of the crash and on samples housed in a hangar being used for the inquiry.

"Given the results, it was decided to resume some operations but decontamination will take place subsequently, if necessary, on certain affected pieces," said the spokesman.

Investigators said the one-week suspension would not have a big impact on the inquiry, given that it was a huge job which would require several months.

The judicial inquiry, which includes hearing dozens of witnesses, has continued normally.

A spokesman for Air France said its maintenance services were aware of the presence of asbestos in the structure of the distinctive drop-nosed plane. Asbestos, which is fire-resistant but can cause cancer if inhaled, is used as a thermal insulator for engines.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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