Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC/
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HEXCEL CORP /DE/ [HXL] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director __X__ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
85 BROAD ST		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
09/21/2005
(Street)

NEW YORK, NY 10004		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 09/21/2005   S   360 D $ 17.87 6,620 I See Footnotes (1) (2)
Common Stock 09/23/2005   P   360 A $ 17.76 6,260 I See Footnotes (1) (2)

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC/
85 BROAD ST
NEW YORK, NY 10004		     X    
GOLDMAN SACHS & CO
85 BROAD ST
NEW YORK, NY 10004		     X    

Signatures

 /s/ Ted Chang, Attorney-in-fact   09/27/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) This statement is being filed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS Group) and Goldman, Sachs & Co. (Goldman Sachs, and together with GS Group, the "Reporting Persons"). The transactions reported herein as indirectly purchased and sold were beneficially owned directly by Goldman Sachs. Without admitting any legal obligation, Goldman Sachs or an affiliate will remit appropriate profits, if any to the Hexcel Corporation (the "Company").
(2) GS Group and Goldman Sachs may be deemed to beneficially own indirectly 74 shares of Common Stock by reason of the beneficial ownership of such shares by certain investment partnerships and limited liability companies of which Goldman Sachs or affiliates of Goldman Sachs and GS Group are the general partner, managing general partner, managing partner, managing member, member, manager or investment manager ("Investing Entities"). In addition, GS Group may be deemed to beneficially own 6,186 shares of Common Stock which were granted pursuant to the Hexcel Corporation 2003 Incentive Stock Plan, consisting of 3,093 shares of phantom stock granted to each of the Peter M. Sacerdote, an advisory director of Goldman Sachs and Sanjeev K. Mehra, a managing director of Goldman Sachs, in their capacity as directors of the Company.

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