IATA D10ICAO DC10

Douglas DC-10

Douglas

TravelerPulse profile

Wide-body trijet that defined long-haul travel in the 1970s.

First flight

1970

Category

Wide-body jet

Seating

250–380 passengers

Range

6,100–12,000 km (variant-dependent)

Engines

Three turbofan engines: two underwing, one tail-mounted (GE CF6, P&W JT9D, or GE/P&W variants by series)

Status

Mostly retired from passenger service; some freighter and military use continues

The Douglas DC-10 is a wide-body, long-range commercial jet airliner developed by McDonnell Douglas. It entered service in 1971 and was designed to meet American Airlines' requirement for a wide-body aircraft capable of operating from shorter runways than the Boeing 747. The DC-10 features a distinctive trijet layout with two underwing engines and a third engine integrated into the tail at the base of the vertical stabilizer. The aircraft served as a workhorse for major international and domestic carriers throughout the 1970s and 1980s, offering seating for up to around 380 passengers in a mixed-class configuration. Several variants were produced, including the extended-range DC-10-30 and -40 series, which added a third main landing gear leg and greater fuel capacity. The DC-10's reputation was significantly affected by several high-profile accidents, most notably the 1979 American Airlines Flight 191 crash in Chicago, which led to a temporary FAA grounding. Despite safety controversies, the platform proved durable and many airframes were later converted into the KC-10 Extender military tanker or refurbished as freighters. The militarized and freighter derivatives remain in limited service today.

Notable operators

Major operators included American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Lufthansa, and Northwest Airlines.

Notable facts

›First flight took place on August 29, 1970, with entry into service with American Airlines and United Airlines in August 1971.
›The DC-10-30 series added a third centerline main landing gear bogie to handle higher maximum takeoff weights.
›The 1979 American Airlines Flight 191 crash—the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history at the time—temporarily led to grounding of all DC-10s.
›The military KC-10 Extender tanker/transport variant was based on the DC-10-30CF and remains in USAF service.
›A total of 446 DC-10 aircraft were built before production ended in 1988, when it was succeeded by the MD-11.