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Orly plane crash 50th anniversary

The Air France flight 007 disaster

Orly plane crash 50th anniversary

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An hour-by-hour account of the disaster

Sunday, June 3, 1962:  Air France flight 007 crashed upon takeoff from Orly airport in Paris, France.  Mechanical failure followed by pilot error cost 120 lives—106 of them Atlantans returning home from a cultural tour.  It was the deadliest single-plane aviation disaster in history to that time, and the victims were dozens of the metro’s most prominent arts, civic, and business leaders. Read more...

Orly plane crash 50th anniversary

Breaking News

The French expedition was no plebian tourist outing, but rather a major effort at touting Atlanta’s cultural pedigree to European movers and shakers—the number and stature of dignitaries intended to demonstrate “the city too busy to hate” was more than a sleepy hamlet barely removed from “Gone with the Wind”...

Orly plane crash 50th anniversary

Direct from France

Upon arrival in France, this second Atlanta delegation was stunned at the sheer thoroughness of the destruction...

Rodin

Aftermath

Morris brought a recording of the Paris memorial service home to Atlanta; it was played on-air upon his return several days later...

Orly plane crash 50th anniversary

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Orly plane crash - 50 years later

Sunday, June 3, 1962: Air France flight 007 crashed upon takeoff from Orly airport in Paris, France.