MD-11's Troubled Safety History: An Analysis of the Aircraft's Fatal Crash Record
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 has a notably poor safety record, which is attributed to its complex design and challenging flight characteristics. The aircraft was engineered with a smaller horizontal stabilizer to enhance fuel efficiency, but this compromised its longitudinal stability, especially during landings. This design choice made the aircraft unforgiving of even minor pilot errors. Several high-profile accidents, including FedEx crashes in 1997 and 2009, highlighted the MD-11's tendency for bounced landings that could lead to catastrophic structural failure. Consequently, the aircraft was phased out of passenger service and now operates almost exclusively as a cargo freighter.
Official Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/md-11-aircraft-fatal-crash-235821784.html
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