SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
                           WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 
  
                                  FORM 8-K 
  
                               CURRENT REPORT 
                   PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE 
                      SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 
  
  
                    January 25, 1999 (January 20, 1999) 
              ________________________________________________ 
              Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) 
  
  
                             Hexcel Corporation 
           ______________________________________________________ 
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) 
  
  
         Delaware               1-8472                 94-1109521 
      ______________     _____________________      __________________ 
      (State of          (Commission File No.)      (IRS Employer 
      Incorporation)                                Identification No.) 
  
  
                             Two Stamford Plaza 
                           281 Tresser Boulevard 
                     Stamford, Connecticut  06901-3238 
        ____________________________________________________________ 
           (Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code) 
  
  
                               (203) 969-0666 
            ____________________________________________________ 
            (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) 
  
                                    N/A 
       _____________________________________________________________ 
       (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report) 
                                            


 Item 5.   Other Events. 
  
           A copy of the press release issued by Hexcel Corporation, a
 Delaware corporation (the "Company") on January 20, 1999 is filed as
 Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report and is incorporated herein by
 reference. 
  
  
 Item 7.   Financial Statements, Pro Forma  
           Financial Information and Exhibits. 
  
  
      (c)  Exhibits 
  
           99.1           Press Release issued by the Company on January 20,
                          1999. 
  
  
                                            

                                Signatures 
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
 as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
 behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. 
  
 Dated:  January 25, 1999 
  
  
                                   HEXCEL CORPORATION 
  
                                   By: /s/ Ira J. Krakower
                                      -----------------------------------
                                      Name:  Ira J. Krakower 
                                      Title: Senior Vice President, 
                                               General Counsel and 
                                               Secretary 
                                            



                            EXHIBIT INDEX 
  
 Exhibit No.              Description 
 -----------              -----------
 99.1                     Press Release issued by the Company on January 20,
                          1999