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 * MEHRA SANJEEV K   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol HEXCEL CORP /DE/ [HXL] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO., 85 BROAD STREET 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 11/16/2004 (Street) NEW YORK, NY 10004 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ 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 11/16/2004   A   3,180 (2) A $ 0 (2) 14,528,180 I See Footnotes (1) (3) (4)

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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
MEHRA SANJEEV K C/O GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. 85 BROAD STREET NEW YORK, NY 10004	X

Signatures

/s/ Ted Chang, Attorney-in-fact		11/18/2004
**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)	The Reporting Person is a managing director of Goldman, Sachs & Co. ("Goldman Sachs"). Goldman Sachs is a direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ("GS Group"). The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any.
(2)	The 3,180 shares of Hexcel Corporation (the "Company") common stock ("Common Stock") were granted pursuant to the Hexcel Corporation 2003 Incentive Stock Plan, consisting of 1,590 shares of phantom stock granted to each of the Reporting Person and Peter M. Sacerdote, an advisory director of Goldman Sachs (together with the Reporting Person, the "GS Directors"), in their capacity as directors of the Company. Each of the GS Directors has an understanding with GS Group pursuant to which he holds such shares for the benefit of GS Group.
(3)	GS Group may be deemed to beneficially own the 3,180 shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to the Hexcel Corporation 2003 Incentive Stock Plan, consisting of 1,590 shares of phantom stock granted to each of the GS Directors in their capacity as directors of the Company. Each grant of 1,590 shares vests in three equal installments on the grant date, which was November 16, 2004, and on the first and second anniversaries of the grant date and convert into an equal number of shares of Common Stock on the second anniversary of the grant date, unless the grantee elects to defer conversion until such time as the grantee ceases to be a director of the Company. Vesting and conversion are subject to certain acceleration and termination provisions.
(4)	GS Group and Goldman Sachs may be deemed to beneficially own indirectly 14,525,000 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.

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