Aircraft On The Edge Of Safety

Over the last couple of years there have been a number of accidents that have cost hundred of lives but are there aircraft that are inherently unsafe? Aircraft have been involved in accidents since the time of the Wright brothers. As from this month we will be taking a look at some of the aircraft types that are regarded as unsafe.

- Ryan Fletcher

MD-11

History

A long-range, wide-body tri-jet aircraft airliner manufactured by American McDonnell Douglas (MDD) from 1990 to 2000 and later by Boeing.

FAA certification was achieved on 8 November 1990 while the European Joint Aviation Authorities certified the MD-11 on 17 October 1991 after approximately 200 separate issues were resolved.

At least two airlines expressed dissatisfaction with the MD-11s with one cancelling their order in favour of the A340-300. Problems with the performance of the engines and airframe, and a reduction in payload for long-haul flights were also noted as the aircraft could only cover 6 493 nautical miles (12 025 km) with a full payload.

Why did the MD-11 have so many problems?

It passed all airworthiness tests, was flown for almost a decade by several major airlines, was improved many times - yet just keeps giving trouble. It's something that regulators and two successive manufacturers have had to grapple with for years.

Introduced by McDonnell Douglas Corp. in 1990, the plane had computerised flight controls that were supposed to offer a big advance in safety. However the MD-11 experienced problems ranging from early computer and electrical hiccups to finicky handling making it tricky to land.