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'Dad was among 113 killed in plane crash his last words to me were heartbreaking'

The daughter of Concorde flight engineer Gile Jardinaud, one of 113 people who died in the Air France flight 4590 crash in 2000, has shared his heartbreaking last words in a Channel 4 documentary

[Gile Jardinaud]

Flight engineer Gile Jardinaud lost his life in the Concorde crash (Image: Channel 4)

The daughter of an elite flight engineer who was among 113 people killed in a horrific plane crash has disclosed his devastating final words to her.

It has been 26 years since Air France flight A4590 burst into flames just 77 seconds after departing from Charles de Gaulle airport. The Paris flight was headed for New York on July 25, 2000.

The catastrophic loss of life marked the beginning of the end for the supersonic aircraft, with Concorde halting operations three years later.

Among Concorde's most esteemed flight engineers was Gile Jardinaud, and he was among the crew on that tragic day.

His daughter, Sandrine Quignon-Fleuret, has now disclosed her final conversation with him, for a Channel 4 documentary entitled Concorde Crash Days That Shocked The World.

Hours before the flight, Gile visited his daughter, who was relocating at the time.

[AF4590 Concorde Crashes At Gonesse Near Paris]

The plane ploughed into a hotel(Image: Getty)

She recalled: "I was in a completely empty apartment. He came by and told me 'I just wanted to see my grandson and kiss you.'

"And he said to me, 'Well, I'm just taking one last flight to New York and then I'm spending a week of vacation with my grandson. I'm going to take care of him, help you with your move.'

"And so that's the last time I saw him."

There is a haunting image etched in aviation history showing the aircraft, which was carrying nine crew members and 100 passengers, consumed by flames. Speaking about the tragedy, Sandrine revealed: "The famous image of the Concorde on fire, for many people it's just the Concorde burning, but for me I know that my father was on board.

"So when I see this image, my heart aches and I cry because it's not just a press image for me."

[Sandrine Quignon-Fleuret]

The daughter spoke about her father on the Channel 4 documentary(Image: Channel 4)

Gile and his wife brought up their three children in a quaint village in the south east of Paris, with Sandrine recalling cherished family holidays during her childhood.

The youngsters had the chance to accompany him on flights, and she fondly remembered jetting off to New York to celebrate her 18th birthday.

She described him as utterly devoted to his career, explaining that aviation was his "universe".

Yet she could never have foreseen that the moment he popped over to give her a kiss and visit his grandson would mark their final conversation.

Upon discovering the devastating crash, she faced the heartbreaking task of ringing her sister, who was only 24 and holidaying in Barcelona with mates.

[Giles Jardinaud]

Giles Jardinaud was a seasoned Concorde crew member(Image: Channel 4)

Battling back tears, she described it as her most vivid recollection, saying: "I was in the car, we were arriving at my mum's house and I told her at that moment. And that's the hardest memory.

"That brings things back. Sorry, I didn't want to cry."

The aircraft burst into flames moments after takeoff before crashing into a hotel in Gonesse, claiming four lives on the ground and bringing the total death toll to 113. After igniting, the pilots attempted to reach Le Bourget airport, but they lost power in one engine and were unable to speed up or gain altitude.

It was later confirmed that a burst tyre had led to the disastrous crash.

The investigators stated: "The accident shows that the destruction of a tyre, an event that we cannot say will not recur, had catastrophic consequences in a short period of time, preventing the crew from rectifying the situation.

"The crew had no way of knowing about the nature of the fire nor any means of fighting it."

[First Concorde Flight for Twelve Months]

The first Concorde flight taking off in July 2001 since the disaster 12 months prior(Image: Getty)

Speaking about her father and the other crew members, Sandrine told the documentary: "They did their job to the end, until the last second, I know that.

"I've heard the tapes. I'e heard the cockpit recordings."

Following the disaster, Captain Christian Marty's final words were made public, along with those of his co-pilot.

The control tower informed him: "Concorde zero...4590, you have flames. You have flames behind you."

But as they tried to gain enough speed to reach Le Bourget, Mr Marty said: "Too late... No time."

His co-pilot meanwhile stated: "Le Bourget, Le Bourget. Negative; we are trying Le Bourget."

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