Concorde Air France Flight 4590 was a scheduled international flight from Paris to New York City that met with disaster shortly after leaving Charles de Gaulle Airport. On July 25, 2000, the aircraft was carrying 100 passengers and nine crew members when it encountered a critical incident. A piece of debris, which was a metal strip that had fallen from a Continental Airlines plane that had taken off earlier, was on the runway. As the Concorde took off, it struck the debris, blowing a tire and causing it to rupture. This event triggered a series of catastrophic failures. The ruptured tire sent fragments into the wing, igniting fuel that had leaked out due to an earlier vulnerability in the aircraft's design. Just after takeoff, the plane was unable to maintain altitude and crashed into a hotel in Gonesse, a suburb of Paris. Unfortunately, all aboard and four people on the ground lost their lives, totaling 113 fatalities. This crash marked one of the few times Concorde experienced a fatal accident in its entire service history, which raised significant concerns about the aircraft's safety and operational protocols.

In the aftermath, investigations led by the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) uncovered critical insights regarding aircraft safety standards, runway maintenance, and operational procedures for supersonic flights. It was found that the Concorde’s fuel tanks were vulnerable to damage in the event of tire blowouts, leading to subsequent redesigns in aircraft safety measures. The incident resulted in the grounding of the entire Concorde fleet for more than a year, while modifications were made to improve safety. The FAA and regulatory bodies imposed stricter standards for the operation of supersonic jets, emphasizing the need for rigorous pre-flight checks and runway inspections.

Ultimately, the crash had lasting implications for the world of commercial aviation. It directly contributed to the gradual retirement of the Concorde fleet and shifted public perception regarding the safety of older aircraft designs. Investment into newer models and technologies became a priority to ensure safety in the skies, and the aviation industry faced increasing scrutiny regarding how safety protocols were enforced in light of public concern. This shift also marked the last chapter for Concorde, one of the fastest commercial airliners in history, as it never returned to service after modifications aimed to prevent future disasters.