Amazing Aircraft: The DC-10, the End of an Era

This day marks the end of an era in commercial aviation with the final day of scheduled passenger service for the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The DC-10, an amazing aircraft for it's time has the distinct feature of being a tri-jet, with two engines mounted under the wing and the other being mounted on top of the rear fuselage under the vertical stabilizer. Introduced in the early 1970s, the DC-10 fulfilled an industry need for an innovate aircraft smaller than jumbo jets like the Boeing 747 with capabilities to operate long-distance routes to and from airports with shorter runways. Depending on the configuration, the aircraft is capable of carrying up to 380 passengers with a range of medium- to long-haul operations.

Despite it's role and unique design, the aircraft type was involved in several accidents that gave it an unfavorable reputation. Major incidents include American Airlines Flight 96 and Turkish Airlines Flight 981, where the aircraft cargo door design had mechanical issues. Then there was American Airlines Flight 191, where one of the wing-mounted engines detached after taking off from Chicago, damaging the leading edge of the wing and causing the ill-fated DC-10 to roll and crash, killing 271 people on board plus two on the ground. The main culprit of this major accident was improper maintenance procedures carried out by the airline during the engine removal process. And the most famous DC-10 accident would have to be United Airlines Flight 232, when it made a crash landing in Sioux City, Iowa caused when the aircraft lost its hydraulic systems vital for flight control after an uncontained engine failure in the rear engine. The engine failure that started the chain events was caused by a manufacturing defect in the engine fan blades. The Sioux City crash, made famous due to television coverage, killed 111 passengers while 185 survived.

Wired Magazine even called the DC-10 "the fifth worst stupid engineering mistake in history." But what would those at Wired know? Pilots who have flown the DC-10 describe it as reliable, fun to fly, roomy, and quiet, even comparing it to like flying an old Cadillac Fleetwood. Despite improving safety records, as design flaws were properly addressed and resolved, it would be one of the final nails in the coffin for the DC-10 as public confidence in the aircraft was never restored. The DC-10 had it's share of accidents; but let's keep in mind that popular and iconic commercial airliners like the Boeing 737 and Boeing 747 has a fatal accident-rate close to the DC-10.

The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 would be later succeeded by the MD-11, similar in design but larger both in the wings and fuselage, and with the addition of winglets.

An MD-11F operated by FedEx Express. FedEx currently operates the world's largest cargo air fleet and also the world's largest operator of the MD-11.

McDonnell Douglas would eventually merge with Boeing with the latter being the surviving company. After the merge, Boeing continued production of the MD-11 and also conducted an upgrade program for old DC-10s by equipping several aircraft with glass cockpits, leading to the re-designation as MD-10s; this upgrade eliminated the need for a three-person crew and allowed a common type rating with MD-11. This allowed airlines like FedEx Express, which operates both MD-10s and MD-11s to have a common pilot pool for both aircraft.

A FedEx Express-operated MD-10, a DC-10 that received the glass cockpit upgrade from Boeing. FedEx is also the world's largest operator of the DC-10/MD-10 type.

There is also a military variant of the DC-10 introduced in the 1980s used for aerial refueling, designated as the KC-10 Extender.

A United States Air Force KC-10 Extender on static display at an air show.

As an aviation enthusiast and aircraft spotter, it is a sad day to see DC-10 retired from scheduled passenger service. But at least we will still be seeing them operational in cargo and military services in the years to come. However, we all probably know that in some time, the retirement of cargo and military DC-10 variants are somewhere around the corner.

The deciding factors that have sealed the DC-10's fate is operational costs and fuel consumption. Newer, two-engine aircraft consume less fuel, making the tri-jets and even four-engine airliners (like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340) expensive to operate. The original DC-10s also required a three-man crew (Captain, First Officer, and Flight Engineer), which is a rarity in the commercial aviation industry today and also another costly factor for the airlines that operate them.

Let us say "good-bye" and salute to an old commercial aviation workhorse. May it's legacy of troubled beginnings, public doubts, and major improvements be one for the history books.