From start-up to crash took 13 minutes

Just 13 minutes passed between the time Air France's Concorde moved from the parking area at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris…

Just 13 minutes passed between the time Air France's Concorde moved from the parking area at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on Tuesday and the moment it crashed near the town of Gonesse.

The following is an account of the last moments of Flight AF 4590 as compiled from statements by Air France and the Deputy State Prosecutor, Ms Elisabeth Senot:

3.25 p.m. (2.25 p.m. Irish time) - Scheduled departure for AF 4590, bound for New York with 100 passengers and nine crew on board.

Departure is delayed as Captain Christian Marty requests replacement of a missing part in the system for reversing thrust in engine number 2 on the aircraft's left wing.

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Repair takes 30 minutes, according to Air France yesterday. The airline says that, while failure of reverse thrust on a single engine does not threaten the safety of an aircraft with four engines, the pilot opted for the repair.

Departure is further delayed by the late arrival of some passengers' luggage.

All passengers arrived at Charles de Gaulle on connecting flights.

4.31 p.m. - Concorde leaves the parking area.

Time not given - AF 4590 is cleared for take-off.

56 seconds after obtaining clearance, according to transcripts of the cockpit voice recorder, air traffic controllers warn pilot of fire at rear of aircraft.

Pilot reports failure of engine number 2. Seconds later, traffic controllers report that the fire is spreading. Pilot replies he can no longer stop aircraft as engine thrust is too strong.

Pilot says he is heading for nearby Le Bourget airport, to the south-west, rather than attempting an emergency landing at Charles de Gaulle.

To reach Le Bourget he must fly in a loop.

Witnesses see Concorde trailing huge flames, flying low and banking to go into loop, apparently trying to head away from populated areas.

Onlooker says aircraft "flipped over like a pancake".

4.44 p.m. - Concorde crashes at Gonesse, only a few kilometres short of Le Bourget.