ATLANTA — At the time it was considered the worst plane crash in aviation history. On June 3, 1962, an Air France charter flight from Paris to Atlanta crashed on takeoff from France's Orly Field.
A total of 130 people on board died – among them were 106 Atlanta arts patrons returning home from a tour of European capitals. Two flight attendants sitting in the rear of the Boeing 707 survived.
"It was Atlanta's version of Sept. 11 in that the impact on the city in 1962 was comparable to New York of Sept. 11," Ann Uhry Abrams, author of the book, "Explosion at Orly: The True Account of the Disaster that Transformed Atlanta," told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the 40th anniversary of the Orly crash.
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Investigators later determined that the Atlanta-bound charter developed trouble as the pilot began the takeoff roll.
The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to abort the takeoff by locking the wheels and reversing the engines.
The plane crashed just yards off the runway.
Outside the High Museum of Art stands a memorial to remember the crash victims. On Monday, flowers had been laid to honor those who died.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this article.