More On The MD-83 And Alaska Airlines
The Alaska Airlines MD-83 that crashed off the coast of California on Monday was the eighth plane in the MD-80 jetliner series to be involved in a fatal accident.
According to FAA spokesman John Clabes, the plane designated as Flight 261 was never previously involved in an accident. However, the FAA was still checking its service and maintenance records late Monday night to determine whether the jet had any other problems.
The MD-83 has the longest range of any plane in the twin-engine MD-80 series, able to travel as far as 2,800 miles between stops.
| Boeing's Web site has more information about the MD-80 series. |
The jetliner that crashed in the Pacific off California this afternoon had undergone some servicing just yesterday, and had two more major mechanical checks within about the past year. Airline spokesman Jack Evans says the MD-83 was built in 1992 and underwent a so-called "A" check on January 11th, and a "C" check in January of last year. A "C" check is the second-most-thorough check that jetliners are given as part of their normal maintenance.
Evans says the plane had 26,584 flight hours, and 14315 "cycles." A cycle consists of one takeoff and landing. Alaska Flight 261 was on a flight from Mexico to San Francisco and Seattle. It was due to arrive in Seattle about 8:30 p.m. ET.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series (known now as the Boeing MD-80) is a stretched version of the Douglas DC-9, and is designed for medium range flights. It has two turbo engines.
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| A side view schematic diagram of the MD-80 series courtesy of Boeing. |
The MD-80 series has a reputation in the industry as a relatively safe, dependable airplane. "It's had a really stellar record for safety and for durability," Boeing spokesman John Thom said of the MD-80 series. "Better than 99 percent of them are still in service."
The plane first flew in 1979. A total of 1191 MD-80 series planes were produced. The MD-83 model was first rolled out in 1983. It weighed 41 tons, and featured larger fuel tanks than earlier MD-80 models.
The MD-80 series is 17 feet long and accommodates between 139 and 168 passengers, depending on the configuration. Wingspan for all models is 107 feet 10 inches. The planes are built in Long Beach, California.
Technology advancements in the MD-80 include aviation's first digital flight guidance system. The MD-83 has the longest range of any plane in the MD-80 series, able to travel as far as 2,800 miles between stops.
Boeing stopped producing the MD-80 series last year. The last plane rolled off the production line on December 21, 1999.
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| An overhead schematic diagram of the MD-80 series courtesy of Boeing. |
Alaska Airlines had its roots in a three-seat shuttle service begun in 1932 between Anchorage and Bristol Bay, Alaska. The service merged with Star Air Service in 1934 and, after several more mergers, adopted the name Alaska Airlines. With deregulation in 1979, Alaska began expanding throughout the West Coast and within a decade had tripled in size.
Alaska Airlines flies 88 jets, of which 35 are MD-80's, and now carries more than 12 million customers per year, and its route system serves more than 40 cities in Alaska, Canada, Mexico and five Western states. Alaska says its fleet of 88 Boeing jets is the youngest among all major airlines.
The airline's planes are distinguished by the image of an Eskimo painted on their tails.
Alaska Airlines had two fatal accidents in the 1970s, both in Alaska, according to Airsafe.com, a Web site that tracks plane crashes.
In 1971, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 727-100 approaching Juneau crashed into a mountain slope after the crew received misleading navigational information. All 104 passengers and seven crew members and were killed.
In 1976, one passenger was killed when a 727 overran the runway after landing in Ketchikan.
According to the NTSB, an Alaska Airlines 737-400 flying from Seattle-Tacoma to Juneau, carrying 140 passengers and five crew members, sustained ``substantial damage'' during landing at Juneau in 1998. There were no injuries and no probable cause was listed on the report.
Other fatal accidents involving the MD-80 series were:
Dec. 1, 1981: An Inex Adria MD-80 flying through heavy fog crashed into high ground in Ajaccio, Corsica, killing all eight crew and 170 passengers.
June 12, 1988: An Austral Lineas Aereas MD-81 crashed three miles short of the aiport in Posadas, Argentina, during an approach in poor visibility. All 15 passengers and seven crew were killed.
Oct. 26, 1993: A China Eastern MD-82 touched down long during a rain storm and went off the end of the runway in Fuhou, China, killing two of the 71 passengers.
Nov. 13, 1993: An MD-82 belonging to China's Northern Airlines crashed short during an approach in dense fog in Urumqui, a western Chinese city, killing eight of the 92 passengers and four of eight crew.
July 6, 1996: During takeoff in Pensacola, Fla., the left engine of a Delta Airlines MD-88 exploded. A vacationing mother and her son were killed by pieces tearing into the passenger cabin. Three others were injured.
The MD-11, MD-80 and MD-90 series of aircraft were the mainstays of McDonnell Douglas' commercial aircraft lines. The MD-80 series was almost solely responsible for returning the St. Louis-based McDonnell Douglas to profitability in 1985 after more than a decade of red ink.
The last of the 1,191 MD-80s rolled off the assembly line in Long Beach, Calif., this December.
"The decision to phase out the MD-80 was purely market driven,'' Thom said. "It was made plain that there wasn't going to be a sufficient demand."