1.   An example of the talent later lost to British aviation.

2.   British aviation authorities, following their French counterparts, this week ordered the supersonic plane grounded, effectively ruling it unfit to fly.

3.   Burst tires have been a worry for Concorde pilots since the plane entered service, according to British aviation experts.

4.   But British aviation experts say the British Concordes were modified to protect the wings from damage by tire blowouts, while Air France Concordes were not modified.

5.   Eric Moody, a former pilot who writes regularly for British aviation magazines, said he doubted the wing cracks had anything to do with the crash.

6.   The British national election, now expected in May, created some concern, because a Labor party victory could cause a shift in the British aviation policy position.

7.   The issue comes up in negotiations beginning Monday in Washington between the U.S. Department of Transportation and British aviation officials.

8.   U.S. and British aviation negotiators met twice in July, after breaking off talks last October.

9.   British aviation regulators said they were concerned about defects in some of the Nigerian-operated jets, but the two sides have now patched up their differences.

10.   Early witnesses include British aviation experts, as well as police and investigators who sifted through the debris of the exploded jetliner after the crash.