Aircraft profile: MD-11

A look at the history of the MD-11 aircraft and recent incidents.

fedex md11
Some 200 MD-11s were built by McDonnell Douglas between 1990 and 2001 [EPA]

Production of the MD-11 ended in 2001, four years after Boeing took over McDonnell Douglas.

Recent incidents

April 6, 1993 – China Eastern MD-11 passenger jet hit by severe oscillations when a crew member accidentally deployed the leading edge wing slats during cruise flight. Sixty of the passengers and crew were hospitalised, one with severe brain damage, and two passengers died of injuries.

July 31, 1997 – FedEx MD-11 crashed during a landing at Newark airport near New York City The aircraft flipped onto its back and caught fire, following a landing attempt. All five on board survived

September 2, 1998 – Swissair MD-11 passenger jet crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after an electrical fire in the on board entertainment system. All 229 people on board died.

April 15, 1999 – Korean Air MD-11 cargo flight crashed shortly after take off from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport bound for Seoul. The plane’s three crew and six people on the ground were killed, while more than 30 were injured.

August 22, 1999 – China Airlines MD-11 crashed while landing at Hong Kong airport during a typhoon, flipping onto its back and burning. An investigation found that conditions at the time exceeded the plane’s crosswind specifications. Three passengers were killed.

October 17, 1999 – Excessive landing speed blamed for crash landing of FedEx MD-11 at Subic Bay International Airport in the Philippines after flight from Shanghai. The aircraft rolled the whole length of the runway before plunging into the bay where it was completely submerged. The two crew escaped with minor injuries.

March 23, 2009 – FedEx Express Flight 80, crashed at Narita International Airport on while landing in windy conditions. The aircraft hit the runway hard and bounced, before clipping the ground and bursting into flames. The two crew on board were both killed.

Source: Al Jazeera