Safety Concerns Surrounding the MD-11 Airliner

The MD-11, built by McDonnell Douglas, has been in service since 1990 and has been involved in several accidents and mechanical problems, including potential fire hazards. Despite its solid safety record, Swissair, an airline known for its meticulous care and maintenance, has had its worst disaster in 20 years with the crash of Flight 111. The plane, a seven-year-old MD-11 with 62,000 hours of flight time, had reported smoke in the cockpit before the accident.

Key Takeaways:

• The MD-11 has had a number of mechanical problems, including potential fire hazards, such as electrical short-circuits, fuel spills, and overheating, which have led to calls for inspections and repairs.
• Swissair has a solid safety record and is considered one of the world's top airlines, particularly in the maintenance of its fleet of 62 aircraft.
• The MD-11's safety record is on a par with other airplanes in widespread use, with several accidents involving the plane, but the majority being minor.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues airworthiness directives mandating that United States airlines fix flaws as they are discovered, but the directives are not binding on foreign airlines unless the aviation agencies in those countries issue similar orders.
• Most developed countries and large airlines, especially those flying into the United States, comply with the rules, with Swissair being a good example, routinely complying with all directives.
• The crash of Swissair Flight 111 was the company's worst disaster since its founding in 1931, with 14 people killed in a 1979 DC-8 crash in Athens.

Statistics:

• The MD-11 has been in service since 1990 and has a total of 35,000 hours of flight time in 6,400 flights before the crash.
• Other accidents involving the MD-11 include a 1997 Federal Express jet that bounced, rolled, and caught fire at Newark International Airport, and a 1993 Eastern Airlines plane that had its main wing slats deploy improperly over Alaska.
• There have been several accidents involving the MD-11, but the majority have been minor, with the only major accident occurring in 1997.
• The FAA has issued several airworthiness directives mandating repairs and inspections for the MD-11 to prevent potential fire hazards, such as electrical short-circuits, fuel spills, and overheating.

Sources:

• "Airline Uses Competence As Selling Point" by The New York Times, September 10, 1992.
• National Transportation Safety Board report on the 1997 Federal Express jet accident.
• Federal Aviation Administration records on MD-11 airworthiness directives.
• "Swissair's Last Fatal Accident Was in 1979" by The New York Times, September 11, 1992.
• International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards.