The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast
single-aisle airliners developed by
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own merger with Boeing in 1997, it produ ...
. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by
Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) is a division of The Boeing Company. It designs, assembles, markets, and sells jet airliners and business jets ( Boeing Business Jets), and also provides product-related maintenance and training to customers wor ...
. The MD-80 was the second generation of the
DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas.
After ...
family, originally designated as the DC-9-80 (DC-9 Series 80) and later stylized as the DC-9 Super 80 (short ''Super 80'').
Stretched, enlarged wing and powered by higher bypass
Pratt & Whitney JT8D
The Pratt & Whitney JT8D is a low-bypass (0.96 to 1) turbofan engine introduced by Pratt & Whitney in February 1963 with the inaugural flight of the Boeing 727. It was a modification of the Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojet engine which powered th ...
-200 engines, the aircraft program was launched in October 1977.
The MD-80 made its first flight on October 18, 1979 as the Super 80 and was certified on August 25, 1980. The first airliner was delivered to launch customer
Swissair
Swissair AG/ S.A. (German: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG; French: S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne) was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002.
It was formed from a merger between Bal ...
on September 13, 1980, which introduced it into commercial service on October 10, 1980.
Keeping the fuselage cross-section, longer variants are stretched by 14 ft (4.3 m) from the DC-9-50 and have a 28% larger wing.
The larger variants (MD-81/82/83/88) are 148 ft (45.1 m) long to seat 155 passengers in coach and, with varying weights, can cover up to 2,550 nmi (4,720 km).
The later MD-88 has a modern cockpit with
EFIS displays.
The MD-87 is 17 ft (5.3 m) shorter for 130 passengers in economy and has a range up to 2,900 nmi (5,400 km).
The MD-80 series competed with the
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Febru ...
and the
Airbus A320ceo family. Its successor, introduced in 1995, the
MD-90
The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) MD-90 is an American five-abreast single-aisle airliner developed by McDonnell Douglas from its successful model MD-80. The airliner was produced by the developer company until 1997 and then by Boeing Com ...
, was a further stretch powered by
IAE V2500
The IAE V2500 is a two-shaft high-bypass turbofan engine built by International Aero Engines (IAE) which powers the Airbus A320 family, the McDonnell Douglas MD-90, and the Embraer C-390 Millennium.
The engine's name is a combination of the Roma ...
high-bypass turbofans, while the shorter MD-95, later known as the
Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is an American five-abreast single-aisle airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The twin-engine airliner was developed for the 100-seat market and originally marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95. It was a shor ...
, was powered by
Rolls-Royce BR715
The Rolls-Royce BR700 family of turbofan engines for regional jets and corporate jets. It was developed by BMW and Rolls-Royce plc through the joint venture BMW Rolls-Royce AeroEngines GmbH, established in 1990. The BR710 first ran in 1995. It ...
engines.
Production ended in 1999 after 1,191 MD-80s were delivered, of which 116 aircraft remain in service as of August 2022.
Development
The
DC-9 series, the first generation of the DC-9 family, entered service in late 1965 and became a commercial success with 976 units built when production ended in 1982. The all-new designed aircraft family includes five members or variants (DC-9-10 / DC-9 Series 10, Series 20, Series 30, Series 40, and Series 50) with ten sub-variants or versions (Series 11, Series 12, Series 14, Series 15, Series 21, Series 31, Series 32, Series 33, Series 34, Series 41, and Series 51) and features two rear fuselage-mounted turbofan engines, a T-tail configuration,
[Norris, Guy and Wagner, Mark. ]
Douglas Jetliners
'. MBI Publishing, 1999. . a
narrow-body
A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast airline seat, seating in a aircraft cabin, cabin less than in width.
In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner ...
fuselage with five-abreast seating for 80 to 135 passengers.
The success prompted the manufacturer to further develop the aircraft family with the last member, Series 50, as the reference aircraft.
Feasibility study
In the 1970s, McDonnell Douglas began development of the first derivative or second generation of the DC-9 family, a lengthened version of the Series 50, with a higher
maximum take-off weight
The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot is allowed to attempt to takeoff, take off, due to structural or other limits. The a ...
(MTOW), larger wing, new main
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
, and higher fuel capacity. Availability of newer versions of the
Pratt & Whitney JT8D
The Pratt & Whitney JT8D is a low-bypass (0.96 to 1) turbofan engine introduced by Pratt & Whitney in February 1963 with the inaugural flight of the Boeing 727. It was a modification of the Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojet engine which powered th ...
turbofan engine
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...
with higher bypass ratios and thrust ratings drove early studies including designs known as Series 55, Series 50 (refanned Super Stretch), and Series 60. In August 1977, the design effort focused on the Series 55.
Program launch
With entry into service projected in 1980, the improved aircraft design was initially designated as the Series 80, which would be the sixth variant of the first generation. In October 1977
Swissair
Swissair AG/ S.A. (German: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG; French: S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne) was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002.
It was formed from a merger between Bal ...
became the launch customer for the Series 80 with an order for 15 plus an option for five.
[ The launch of the next aircraft models followed in October 1977 for the Series 81 (MD-81), on April 16, 1979 for the Series 82 (MD-82), on January 31, 1983 for the Series 83 ( MD-83). January 1985 for Series 87 (MD-87) and January 23, 1986 for Series 88 (MD-88).]
Certification
Type designation
Similar to the first generation of the DC-9 family, the second generation uses second-digit notation, with zero for variant names (Series 80) and non-zero for subvariant or version names (Series 81 through Series 88). Because there was only one variant within the second generation, the Series 80 became the family name and the Series 81 through Series 88 became variant or version names. The first Series 80, DC-9 line number 909, made its first flight on October 18, 1979 as the ''Super 80'', which then became the preferred designation for the newly developed aircraft family. Although two aircraft were substantially damaged in accidents, flight testing was completed on August 25, 1980, when the first variant and respectively production model, the JT8D-209-powered Series 81, was certified under an amendment to the FAA type certificate for the DC-9. The flight-testing leading up to certification had involved three aircraft accumulating a total of 1,085 flying hours on 795 flights. After production of the first generation ended in late 1982, a new designation with McDonnell Douglas initials, MD-80, was proposed as the type designation for the second generation and in July 1983, McDonnell Douglas decided that the Super 80 would be officially designated the MD-80. However, the type designation according to the type certificate
A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...
(TC) is still the original (DC-9 prefix) to save on certification costs, but could also be provided with the new (MD prefix) written in parentheses, e.g. DC-9-81 (MD-81), DC-9-82 (MD-82), DC-9-83 (MD-83) and DC-9-87 (MD-87). Only the last variant, the MD-88, was officially certified under the MD designation.
Type certification (TC)
Following the MD-81's first flight on October 18, 1979, the MD-82 and MD-83 made their maiden flights on January 8, 1981 and December 17, 1984, respectively. They were then certified by the FAA on August 25, 1980, July 29, 1981, and October 17, 1985, respectively. The first airliner, an MD-81, was delivered to launch operator Swissair
Swissair AG/ S.A. (German: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG; French: S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne) was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002.
It was formed from a merger between Bal ...
on September 13, 1980.[Airclaims Jet Programs 1995][ Instead of merely using the MD- prefix as a marketing symbol, an application was made to again amend the type certificate to include the MD-81, MD-82, and MD-83. This change was dated March 10, 1986, and the type certificate declared that although the MD designator could be used in parentheses, it must be accompanied by the official designation, for example: DC-9-81 (MD-81). All Long Beach aircraft in the MD-80 series thereafter had MD-81, MD-82, or MD-83 stamped on the aircraft nameplate.
The MD-87 and MD-88 made their first flight on December 4, 1986 and August 15, 1987, respectively.][ Although not certified until October 21, 1987, McDonnell Douglas had already applied for models DC-9-87 and DC-9-87F on February 14, 1985. The third derivative was similarly officially designated DC-9-87 (MD-87), although no nameplates were stamped DC-9-87. For the MD-88, an application for a type certificate model amendment was made after the earlier changes, so there was not a DC-9-88, which was certified on December 8, 1987.][''Airliner Color History MD-80 & MD-90''. ] The FAA's online aircraft registry database shows the DC-9-88 and DC-9-80 designations in existence but unused.
Type conversion (STC)
Type conversions were programs started in 2010 by third parties with support from the TC holder (Boeing, as this was only happening after the merger with McDonnel Douglas in 1997) to convert used MD-80 passenger airliners and provide the required supplemental type certificate (STC) from FAA or EASA
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitori ...
.
=AEI MD-80SF (freighter)
=
The ''MD-80SF'' was a freighter conversion program for the MD-80 series launched in February 2010, where the suffix SF stands for ''special freighter''. The conversion company, the Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) based in Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, had noticed that pre-owned MD-80s could be bought for under $1M, and at $2.5M for the freighter conversion, an MD-80FS could offer a narrowbody freighter for half the price of a Boeing 737-400SF
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
. The first conversion was undertaken on an ex-American Airlines MD-82 aircraft (FSN 49470 built in 1987), which was used as a test-bed for the supplemental type certificate. The MD-80SF made its inaugural flight on 28 September 2012. AEI was the first and solely firm authorized by Boeing to receive the STC, ''ST02434LA'', for the longer variants of the MD-80 series from the FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
in February 2013. The converted freighter with the designation AEI MD-80SF would have a payload of 21.1 tonnes and the ability to take 12 pallets measuring 88 x 108 inches, which would be a good replacement for the Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...
freighter[ The first converted freighter, an AEI MD-82SF (the prototype), was delivered to the launch customer, ]Everts Air Cargo
Everts Air Cargo is an American Part 121 airline based in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. It operates D.O.D, scheduled and charter airline cargo within Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the continental United States. Its maintenance base is Fairbanks Internat ...
, in February 2013.
In 2013, after the first delivery, AEI had orders for 20 MD-80SF freighters,[ expecting more than 100 conversions over ten years. Despite the initial lively interest, the uptake had been sluggish.][ AEI had six MD-80s converted by 2015, and three more were on the books for that year. Demand for the MD-80SF was disappointing due to two factors. First, the MD-80's cross section does not match the narrowbody freighter types used by the integrators, severely limiting the market for the freighter. Second, the values of the 737-400SF fell faster than expected, closing the gap with the MD-80SF, which burns 12 percent more fuel.][ In October 2015, the MD-80SF was approved by the EASA with Doc. No. ''10055029''.] In 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, demand for cargo aircraft increased and the initial cost of an MD-80SF was around $5M, half the cost of a 737-400SF, which made it attractive again. In March, USA Jet Airlines
USA Jet Airlines is a small American cargo airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Willow Run Airport, and in Van Buren Township, Michigan
Van Buren Charter Township, officially the Charter Township of Van Buren, is a charter township ...
had signed a contract with AEI to convert three MD-88s into freighter, which they purchased from Delta Air Lines, and planned to have seven AEI MD-88SF in its fleet. AEI itself had delivered 21 AEI MD-80SF freighters, two were in progress and six had been ordered.
=EAT MD-87 (firefighter)
=
The FAA issued the Doc. No. ''STC ST02507LA'', for Erickson Aero Tanker, LLC, located in Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro ( ) is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Situated in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many high-technology companies, ...
(referred to as "EAT") in 2014 to certify their EAT MD-87 firefighters. In the said STC, EAT MD-87 air tankers are required to drop retardant with landing gear down to prevent stalling. The dedicated test pilot said that during a test with the external tank, the FAA representative was not satisfied with the aircraft's response after being placed deep in the stall (beyond the stall warnings, stick shaker, and stick pusher). In early 2017, EAT petitioned the FAA for an exemption from this requirement, 14 CFR 25.201(b)(1), and requested a "Flaps 40/Landing Gear Up" configuration while dropping, but on June 28, 2017 that exemption was denied with the reason given by the FAA that it would have allowed aerial firefighting retardant drops in a configuration that does not fully meet the stall characteristics requirements on the modified DC-9-87 (MD-87) aircraft. EAT was then working on an additional layer of status display to complement the existing system.
Entry into service
The launch operator Swissair put the MD-81 into service on October 10, 1980 with a flight from Zurich Airport
Zürich Airport (), french: Aéroport de Zurich, it, Aeroporto di Zurigo, rm, Eroport da Turitg is the largest international airport of Switzerland and the airline hub, principal hub of Swiss International Air Lines. It serves Zürich, Switze ...
to London Heathrow
Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others bei ...
.[ The MD-82, MD-83, MD-87, and MD-88 entered service later with ]Republic Airlines
Republic Airlines was an American airline formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways on July 1, 1979. Their headquarters were at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in what is now Fort Snelling in unincorporate ...
in August 1981, Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the numb ...
in February 1985, Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines AG, often shortened to Austrian, is the flag carrier of Austria and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group. The airline is headquartered on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat where it also maintains its hub ...
in November 1987, and Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
in January 1988, respectively.[
]
Production
The second generation (later named MD-80s) was produced on a common line with the first generation DC-9s, with which it shares its line number sequence. After the delivery of 976 DC-9s and 108 MD-80s, McDonnell Douglas stopped DC-9 production. Hence, commencing with the 1,085th DC-9/MD-80 delivery, an MD-82 for VIASA
Venezolana Internacional de Aviación Sociedad Anónima ( en, JSC Venezuelan International Airways), or VIASA for short, was the Venezuelan flag carrier airline between 1960 and 1997. It was headquartered in the Torre Viasa in Caracas. Launche ...
in December 1982, only second generation or MD-80s were produced.
In 1985, McDonnell Douglas, after years of negotiating attributed to Gareth C.C. Chang, president of a McDonnell Douglas subsidiary, signed an agreement for joint production of MD-80s and MD-90s in the People's Republic of China. The agreement was for 26 aircraft, of which 20 were eventually produced along with two MD-90 aircraft. Upon cancellation of the co-production program, China refused to return the tooling used to McDonnell Douglas, and subsequently used it and the fuselage cross-section design in what became the Comac ARJ21
The Comac ARJ21 Xiangfeng () is a 78–90 seat regional jet manufactured by the Chinese state-owned aerospace company Comac.
Development of the ARJ21 (Advanced Regional Jet) began in March 2002, the first prototype was rolled out on 21 Decem ...
regional jet.
During 1991, MD-80 production had reached a peak of 12 per month, having been running at approximately 10 per month since 1987 and was expected to continue at this rate in the near term (140 MD-80s were delivered in 1991). As a result of the decline in the air traffic and a slow market response to the MD-90, MD-80 production was reduced, and 84 aircraft were handed over in 1992. A further production rate cut resulted in 42 MD-80s delivered during 1993 (3.5 per month) and 22 aircraft were handed over.[ MD-80 production ended in 1999, with the final MD-80, an MD-83 registered as N984TW, being delivered to ]TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with ...
.
Other proposals
MD-89
In 1984–1985, McDonnell Douglas proposed a 173-passenger, stretch of the MD-80 called the MD-89, which would use the International Aero Engines V2500
The IAE V2500 is a two-shaft high-bypass turbofan engine built by International Aero Engines (IAE) which powers the Airbus A320 family, the McDonnell Douglas MD-90, and the Embraer C-390 Millennium.
The engine's name is a combination of the Roma ...
engine instead of the regular JT8D-200 series engines. The MD-89 was intended to have two fuselage plugs forward of the wing and one fuselage plug aft of the wing. IAE and McDonnell Douglas announced an agreement to jointly market this derivative on February 1, 1985, but the concept was subsequently deprioritized in favor of the proposed MD-91 and MD-92 derivatives using ultra-high bypass (UHB) propfan
A propfan, also called an open rotor engine, or unducted fan (as opposed to a ducted fan), is a type of aircraft engine related in concept to both the turboprop and turbofan, but distinct from both. The design is intended to offer the speed an ...
engines. By 1989, however, lack of airline orders for the UHB derivatives caused McDonnell Douglas to return to the IAE V2500 engines to launch its MD-90
The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) MD-90 is an American five-abreast single-aisle airliner developed by McDonnell Douglas from its successful model MD-80. The airliner was produced by the developer company until 1997 and then by Boeing Com ...
series aircraft.[
]
MD-80 Advanced
In order to better manage the transition from the second generation, MD-80, to the third generation, MD-90, McDonnell Douglas revealed at the end of 1990 that it would be developing an MD-80 "improvement package" with the intent to offer beginning in early 1991 for delivery from mid-1993. The aircraft concept became known as the ''MD-80 Advanced''. The "main improvement" was the installation of Pratt & Whitney JT8D-290 engines (never built) with a 1.5 in larger diameter fan that would allow for a 6 dB reduction in exterior noise. The MD-80 Advanced was to incorporate the advanced flight deck of the MD-88, including a choice of reference systems, with an inertial reference system as standard fitting and optional attitude-heading equipment. It was to be equipped with an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS), an optional second flight management system (FMS), and light-emitting diode (LED) dot-matrix electronic engine and system displays. A Honeywell wind-shear computer and provision for an optional traffic-alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) were also to be included. A completely new passenger compartment design would have a 12% increase in overhead baggage space and stowage compartment lights that come on when the doors open, as well as new video system featuring drop-down LCD monitors above.[ These changes would be also available by retrofit to existing MD-80s.][ Due to lack of market interest, McDonnell Douglas dropped its plans to offer the MD-80 Advanced during 1991.][
In the course of 1993, a "mark 2" MD-80 Advanced version reappeared with the modified JT8D-290 engines as previously proposed.][ In late 1993, Pratt & Whitney launched a modified version of the JT8D-200 series, the -218B, which was being offered for the DC-9X re-engining program, and was also evaluating the possibility of developing a new JT8D for possible retrofit on the MD-80. The to thrust -218B engine version shares a 98% commonality with the existing engine, with changes designed to reduce NOx, improve durability, and reduce noise levels by 3 dB. The 218B could be certified in early to mid-1996. The new engine, dubbed the "8000", was to feature a new fan of increased diameter (by 1.7 in), extended exhaust cone, a larger LP compressor, a new annular burner, and a new LP turbine and mixer. The initial thrust rating would be around . A launch decision on the new engine was expected by mid-1994, but never occurred. The engine would also be available on new build MD-80s. McDonnell Douglas also evaluated the addition of winglets on the MD-80.][
]
Further developments
MD-90
The MD-90
The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) MD-90 is an American five-abreast single-aisle airliner developed by McDonnell Douglas from its successful model MD-80. The airliner was produced by the developer company until 1997 and then by Boeing Com ...
was developed from the MD-80 series and is a , updated version of the MD-88 with a similar electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) (glass cockpit
A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, rather than the traditional style of analog dials and gauges. While a traditional cockpit relies on numerous mech ...
), and improved, and quieter IAE V2500
The IAE V2500 is a two-shaft high-bypass turbofan engine built by International Aero Engines (IAE) which powers the Airbus A320 family, the McDonnell Douglas MD-90, and the Embraer C-390 Millennium.
The engine's name is a combination of the Roma ...
high-bypass turbofan engine
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...
s. The MD-90 program began in 1989, first flew in 1993, and entered commercial service in 1995. The MD-90ER extended range version was also offered. Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
flew the final MD-90 passenger flight on June 2, 2020, marking the retirement of the type.
MD-95
The MD-95 was developed to replace early DC-9 models, which were approaching 30 years of age. The project completely overhauled the original DC-9 into a modern airliner. It is slightly longer than the DC-9-30 and is powered by new Rolls-Royce BR715
The Rolls-Royce BR700 family of turbofan engines for regional jets and corporate jets. It was developed by BMW and Rolls-Royce plc through the joint venture BMW Rolls-Royce AeroEngines GmbH, established in 1990. The BR710 first ran in 1995. It ...
engines. The MD-95 was renamed "Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is an American five-abreast single-aisle airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The twin-engine airliner was developed for the 100-seat market and originally marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95. It was a shor ...
" after the McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own merger with Boeing in 1997, it produ ...
-Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
merger in 1997.
Design
The MD-80 series is a mid-size, medium-range airliner, featuring a fuselage longer than the DC-9-50. The small, highly efficient wing design of the baseline aircraft was enlarged by adding sections at the wing root and tip for a 28% larger wing. The aircraft derivative retains the configuration of two rear fuselage-mounted turbofan
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which ac ...
engines, a T-tail
A T-tail is an empennage configuration in which the tailplane is mounted to the top of the fin. The arrangement looks like the capital letter T, hence the name. The T-tail differs from the standard configuration in which the tailplane is ...
, and has cockpit, avionics and aerodynamic upgrades. The airliner is designed for frequent, short-haul flights for up to 172 passengers depending on airplane version and seating arrangement.
Performance
The maximum and cruise speed of the aircraft are 925km/h and 811km/h, respectively. It has a maximum range of 2,897km and a fuel capacity of 22,106l. The aircraft weighs around 35,300kg. The maximum take-off weight is 63,500kg.
Engines
The MD-80 is powered by two more powerful, more efficient and quieter Pratt & Whitney JT8D-209 turbofan engines, which are a significant upgrade over the smaller JT8D-15, -17, -11, and -9 series. Each engine can produce 82–93kN of thrust. The JT8D-209 is an advanced engine operated by 350 operators to power around 4,500 aircraft. The engine provides high reliability and low maintenance costs. The engine operates at 77–84°F flat rated temperature.
Avionics
The MD-80 features an advanced avionics suite which includes two autonomous digital flight guidance computers. It is also equipped with a glareshield-mounted flight guidance control panel, flight director, autothrottle, thrust mode selection system, and an autoland system.[
]
Flight deck
The flight deck of the MD-80 aircraft was manufactured by Eaglesoft and Payne Aviation Software. It is equipped with a multi-panel electronic flight instrument system, a full flight management system, an air data computer, a traffic alert and collision avoidance system, a state-of-the-art inertial reference system, and LED dot-matrix displays for engine and system monitoring.[
]
Cabin
The left side of the main cabin features aisle seats. It comprises three to six rows in the first class section, seven to 32 in the main cabin and around 21 in the exit row. It features five-abreast seating in the coach class.[
]
Operational history
Passenger
The second-generation, MD-80 series, passenger airliners have longer fuselages as well as longer range than their earlier counterparts, the first-generation of the DC-9 family. Some customers, such as American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
, still refer to the airplanes in fleet documentation as the ''Super 80'', their former designation.. Comparable airliners to the MD-80 series include the Boeing 737-400
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
and Airbus A319
The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body, commercial passenger Twinjet, twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a ...
. It was the most delivered MD- series and often nicknamed as the ''Mad Dog'' by the operators, has been used by airlines around the world. Major customers have included Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas, formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and the country flag carrier. The airline was created in 1949 from the merger of four companies and started operations in . A consortium led by Iberia ...
, Aeroméxico
Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. () operating as Aeroméxico (; stylized as AM), is the flag carrier airline of Mexico, based in Mexico City. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico; North, South and Central Ameri ...
, Aeropostal
Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela C.A. is a state-owned airline of Venezuela based in Torre Polar Oeste in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates domestic services and international services in the Caribbean. Its main base is Simón Bolívar Internation ...
Aerorepublica
Copa Airlines Colombia is a commercial passenger airline founded and registered under the corporate name of AeroRepública S.A. in November 1992, and is the second airline in Colombia for international passengers carried after Avianca and the th ...
, Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the numb ...
, Alitalia
Alitalia - Società Aerea Italiana Società per azioni, S.p.A., operating as Alitalia (), was an Italian airline which was once the flag carrier and largest airline of Italy. The company had its head office in Fiumicino, Metropolitan City of ...
, Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America.
Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
, American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
, Aserca
Aserca Airlines C.A. (legally ''Aero Servicios Carabobo C.A.'') was an airline based in Valencia, Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela. It operated domestic and regional scheduled services to destinations in the Caribbean and Central America. Its main h ...
, Austral Líneas Aéreas
Cielos del Sur S.A., operating as Austral Líneas Aéreas, more commonly known by its shortened name Austral, was a domestic airline of Argentina, the sister company of Aerolíneas Argentinas. It was the second-largest domestic scheduled airline ...
, Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines AG, often shortened to Austrian, is the flag carrier of Austria and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group. The airline is headquartered on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat where it also maintains its hub ...
, Avianca
Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A.'', "Airways of the American Continent") is a Colombian airline. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered under ...
, China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited (), also known as China Eastern, is an airline headquartered in the China Eastern Airlines Building, on the grounds of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Changning District, Shanghai. It is ...
, China Northern Airlines
China Northern Airlines () was an airline headquartered on the grounds of Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China. Established on June 16, 1990, it was one of the six backbone airlines directly un ...
, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
, Finnair
Finnair ( fi, Finnair Oyj, sv, Finnair Abp) is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters in Vantaa on the grounds of Helsinki Airport, its hub. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both domestic and internationa ...
, Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
, Insel Air
Insel Air (formally ''Insel Air International B.V.'') was a Dutch Caribbean carrier that served as the national airline of Curaçao. It was headquartered in Maduro Plaza, Willemstad. Insel Air last served five destinations throughout the Caribbe ...
, Japan Air System
was the smallest of the big three Japanese airlines. In contrast to the other two, JAL and ANA, JAS' international route network was very small, but its domestic network incorporated many smaller airports that were not served by the two larger ...
(JAS), Korean Air
Korean Air Co., Ltd. (), operating as Korean Air (Korean Air Lines before 1984), is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights.
The present-day Korean Air ...
, Lion Air
PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is an Indonesian low-cost airline. Based in Jakarta, Lion Air is the country's largest privately run airline, the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia (after AirAsia) and the large ...
, Martinair Holland
Martinair (legally ''Martinair Holland N.V.'') is a Dutch cargo airline headquartered and based at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and a subsidiary of Air France–KLM. The airline was founded in 1958 by Martin Schröder. Since 2011, Martinair has op ...
, Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) was a regional U.S. airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1998. It was the first large discount airline in the United States. PSA called itself "The World's Friendliest Airl ...
(PSA), Reno Air
Reno Air was a scheduled passenger airline headquartered in Reno, Nevada, United States. Reno Air provided service from its hubs at Reno/Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada, San Jose International Airport in San Jose, California and Las ...
, Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...
(SAS), Spanair
Spanair S.A. was a Spanish airline, with its head office in the Spanair Building in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. Until 2009, it was a subsidiary of the SAS Group; the same parent company in control of Scandinavian Airlines and held ...
, Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines Inc. (stylized as spirit) is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. carrier headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit operates scheduled flights throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin Ameri ...
, Swissair
Swissair AG/ S.A. (German: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG; French: S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne) was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002.
It was formed from a merger between Bal ...
, Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
and Meridiana
Meridiana Fly S.p.A., operating as Meridiana (formerly named ''Meridiana S.p.A.''), was a privately owned Italian airline headquartered in Olbia with its main base at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport. It operated scheduled and charter flights to do ...
.
American Airlines was the first US major carrier
The United States Department of Transportation defines a major carrier or major airline carrier as a U.S.-based airline that posts more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year, grouped accordingly as "Group III".
Airlines
According to FY20 ...
to order the MD-80 when it leased twenty 142-seat aircraft from McDonnell Douglas in October 1982 to replace its Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...
-100s. It committed to 67 firm orders plus 100 options in March 1984, and in 2002 its fleet peaked at more than 360 aircraft, % of the 1,191 produced. The MD-80 was the workhorse of the airline’s fleet throughout the 1980s and beyond.
Due to the use of the aging JT8D engines, the MD-80 is not fuel efficient compared to the A320 or newer 737 models; it burns of jet fuel per hour on a typical flight, while the larger Boeing 737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
burns per hour (19% reduction). In the 2000s many airlines began to retire the type. Alaska Airlines' tipping point in using the 737-800 was the $4 per gallon price of jet fuel the airline was paying by the summer of 2008; the airline stated that a typical Los Angeles-Seattle flight would cost $2,000 less, using a Boeing 737-800, than the same flight using an MD-80.
In late March 2008 and again in early April 2008, an FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
safety audit of American Airlines forced the airline to ground all its MD-80 series aircraft (approximately 300) to inspect the wiring for one of the aircraft's hydraulic systems. This led to American canceling nearly 2,500 flights in March and over 3,200 in April. In addition, Delta Air Lines voluntarily inspected its own MD-80 fleet to ensure its 117 MD-80s were also operating within regulation. This resulted in Delta canceling 275 flights.["Cancellation wave latest problem for airlines"]
NBC News, April 10, 2008. Accessed: November 12, 2020.
Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines (formerly Midwest Express) was a U.S.-based airline headquartered in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, that operated from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport between 1984 and 2010. For a short time, it also operated as a brand of ...
announced on July 14, 2008, that it would retire all 12 of its MD-80s (used primarily on routes to the West Coast) by the fall. The JT8D's comparatively lower maintenance costs due to simpler design help narrow the fuel cost gap.
American Airlines announced that it would remove all of its MD-80s by 2019, replacing them with 737-800s. The airline flew its final MD-80 revenue flights on September 3 and 4, 2019 before retiring its 26 remaining aircraft. The final MD-80 flight on September 4, 2019, Flight 80, flew from Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago–O'Hare. The retired planes were flown later to the New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
desert to be mothballed.[
Delta Air Lines was expected to retire its MD-80 series jetliners at the end of 2020, but instead the airline began accelerating the fleet retirement in March 2020 when the ]COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
saw passenger levels drop critically low for airlines. On June 2, 2020, the final flights arrived Delta's home base and hub Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
from Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and Fai ...
in Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
and George Bush International Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Located about north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 (Texas), Interstate 45 and Inters ...
in Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
. This was the last scheduled passenger service in the US of any McDonnell Douglas airliner. Delta's MD-80 fleet was put into storage.
Freighter
In February 2013, Commercial Jet Inc. (CJI) delivered the first AEI MD-80SF, an MD-82SF (the prototype), to Everts Air Cargo
Everts Air Cargo is an American Part 121 airline based in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. It operates D.O.D, scheduled and charter airline cargo within Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the continental United States. Its maintenance base is Fairbanks Internat ...
, the launch customer of the MD-80SF passenger-to-freighter conversion program by the Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI). In August 2013, USA Jet Airlines became the launch operator of the MD-80SF freighter conversion program with an MD-88SF. The cargo airline
Cargo airlines (or air freight carriers, and derivatives of these names) are airlines mainly dedicated to the transport of cargo by air. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.
In 2018, airline cargo traf ...
purchased 15 MD-88 aircraft from Delta, six of which would be converted and the other nine used as spares.[Aeronautical Engineers MD-80SF Spec Sheet]
". USA Jet Airlines specialized in ''on demand cargo transport'' within North America.
In 2021, most operators used the AEI MD-80SF freighter to carry Ford Motor Co.
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobile ...
and General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
automotive parts from Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
to the U.S., but it was also used in Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
for general freight and fish. The MD-80SF has a low deck height that allows it to load cargo from a pickup truck when needed, which is not possible on a Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is an American narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978.
The prototype completed its mai ...
freighter. However, its cross section is too narrow to transport standard "A" type containers and instead a dozen non-standard 88 x 108 inch containers or pallets, which is the main disadvantage in cargo operations.
In late July 2022, Everts Air Cargo (EAC) selected Universal Avionics, an Elbit Systems company, to deliver cockpit upgrades (avionics
Avionics (a blend word, blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, ...
, FMS with LPV capability, and integrated GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
) for its MD-80SF aircraft to improve safety and operational efficiency. EAC specializes in transporting freight and mail in Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
and uses its MD-80SF fleet to supply ''on demand charter service'' operations throughout the United States, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and Caribbean Islands
Almost all of the Caribbean islands are in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest island is Cuba. Other sizable islands include Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. Some of the smaller islands are re ...
.
Firefighter
As of July 2022, Erickson Erickson may refer to:
Places
;Canada
*Erickson, Manitoba, a town
*Erickson, British Columbia an unincorporated area
;United States
* Erickson Corner, Connecticut, an unincorporated community
* Erickson Landing, Michigan, an unincorporated communit ...
Aero Tanker operates six MD-87 aircraft converted for use as aerial firefighting air tankers
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
for the U.S. Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...
, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsibi ...
and other government agencies.[ The MD-87 air tanker's capacity is 4,000 gallons or 1,920 gallons more than the capacity of the ]Lockheed P-2 Neptune
The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and ...
tankers and 1,000 gallons more than Bae-146 tankers. That is well short of the 19,000+ gallon capacity of the 747 Global Super Tanker, but the MD-87 is much more cost-effective to operate and can utilize more austere fields with shorter runways. Another interesting feature of the MD-87 tanker, as well as Douglas DC-7
The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. A derivative of the DC-6, it was the last major piston engine-powered transport made by Douglas, being developed shortly after the ear ...
s and some other large tanker-modified aircraft, is that the plane can be flown with the landing gear down during the retardant drop, which reduces airspeed while allowing higher engine RPMs, reducing lag on post-drop climb out- similar to a speed break.[
]
Variants
References: Flight International's Commercial Aircraft of the World 1981,["Commercial Aircraft of the World". ''Flight International'', October 17, 1981.] 1982,[Flight International Commercial Aircraft of the World October 23, 1982] 1983,["Commercial Aircraft of the World". ''Flight International'', October 15, 1983.] Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1994–1995,[Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1994–1995.] and 2004–2005.[Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2004-2005]
;Dimensions: The basic "long-body" MD-80 versions (MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, and MD-88) have an overall length of , and a fuselage length of that is 4.62 m longer than the DC-9-50 and 13.5 m longer than the initial DC-9, the Series 10. Wingspan was also increased by 4.4 m in comparison with earlier DC-9s at . The aircraft's passenger cabin, from cockpit door to aft bulkhead, is long and, as with all versions of the DC-9, has a maximum cabin width (trim-to-trim) of .
;Powerplant: The initial production version of the MD-80 was the Pratt and Whitney JT8D-209 thrust-powered MD-81. Later build MD-81s have been delivered with more powerful JT8D-217 and -219 engines.
;APU: All versions of the MD-80 are equipped with an AlliedSignal (Garrett) GTCP85-98D APU as standard, which is located in the aft fuselage.
;Flight deck: The MD-80 is equipped with a two crew flightdeck similar to that on the DC-9 from which it evolved. Later models could be equipped to a higher specification with EFIS displays in place of the traditional analogue instruments, TCAS, windshear detection, etc. An EFIS retrofit to non-EFIS-equipped aircraft is possible.
;Cabin: Typical passenger-cabin seating arrangements include:[
: A mixed-class, with aft full-service galley, configuration for a total of 135 passengers with 12 first class, four-abreast 36-inch seat pitch.
: 123 economy-class passengers, five-abreast, 32-inch pitch.
: All-economy layout for 155 passengers, five-abreast, 32- and 33-inch pitch.
: A typical high-density layout is for 167 in one class (i.e., ]Airtours
MyTravel Group plc was a British, global travel group headquartered in Rochdale, England. It was founded in 1972 as Airtours Group. The group included two in-house airlines, MyTravel Airways UK and MyTravel Airways Scandinavia, and various t ...
).
;Undercarriage: All versions of the MD-80 are equipped with a tricycle undercarriage, featuring a twin nose unit with spray deflector and twin main units with rock deflectors. The MD-80T, developed for the Chinese, differs in that the main units are each fitted with a four-wheel double-main-bogey undercarriage to reduce pavement loading.[
;Aerodynamic improvements: From mid-1987, new MD-87-style low-drag "beaver" tail cones were introduced on all series of MD-80s, reducing drag and improving fuel burn. Some operators have been modifying the old DC-9-style cones on earlier-build MD-80s to the new low-drag style. Scandinavian Airlines System has done this, citing the improved economics and cosmetics from the modification.][
]
MD-81
The MD-81 (originally known as the DC-9 Super 81 or DC-9-81) was the first production model of the MD-80, and apart from the MD-87, the differences between the various long-body MD-80 variants are relatively minor. The four long-body models (MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, and MD-88) only differ from each other in having different engine variants, fuel capacities, and weights. The MD-88 and later-build versions of the other models have more up-to-date flight decks featuring for example EFIS.
;Performance: Standard maximum take-off weight (MTOW) on the MD-81 is with the option to increase to . Fuel capacity is , and typical range, with 155 passengers, is 1,565 nmi.[
; MD-81 timeline
* Formal launch: October 1977
* First flight: October 18, 1979
* FAA certification: August 25, 1980
* First delivery: September 13, 1980 to ]Swissair
Swissair AG/ S.A. (German: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG; French: S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne) was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002.
It was formed from a merger between Bal ...
* Entry into service: October 10, 1980 with Swissair on a flight from Zurich to Heathrow.
* Last delivery: June 24, 1994 to JAL Domestic
MD-82
Announced on April 16, 1979, the MD-82 (DC-9-82) was a new MD-80 variant with similar dimensions to those of the MD-81 but equipped with more powerful engines. The MD-82 was intended for operation from 'hot and high
In aviation, hot and high is a condition of low air density due to high ambient temperature and high airport elevation. Air density decreases with increasing temperature and altitude. The lower air density reduces the power output from the airc ...
' airports but also offered greater payload/range when in use at 'standard' airfields.[Taylor 1982, p. 419.] American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
was the world's largest operator of the MD-82, with at one point over 300 MD-82s in the fleet.
Originally certified with thrust JT8D-217s, a -217A-powered MD-82 was certified in mid-1982 and became available that year. The new version featured a higher MTOW (), while the JT8D-217As had a guaranteed take-off thrust at temperatures up to or altitude. The JT8D-217C engines were also offered on the MD-82, giving improved Thrust specific fuel consumption
Thrust-specific fuel consumption (TSFC) is the fuel efficiency of an engine design with respect to thrust output. TSFC may also be thought of as fuel consumption (grams/second) per unit of thrust (newtons, or N), hence ''thrust-specific''. This fig ...
(TSFC). Several operators took delivery of the -219-powered MD-82s, while Balair
Belair, legally ''Belair Airlines Aktiengesellschaft, AG'', was a Switzerland, Swiss charter airline headquartered in Glattbrugg operating out of Zürich Airport and EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. It was a subsidiary of Air Berlin and oper ...
ordered its MD-82s powered by the lower-thrust -209 engine.[
The MD-82 features an increased standard MTOW initially to , and this was later increased to . Standard fuel capacity is the same as that of the MD-81, , and typical range with 155 passengers is .][
;MD-82 timeline
* Announced/go-ahead: April 16, 1979
* First flight: January 8, 1981
* FAA certification: July 29, 1981
* First delivery: August 5, 1981 to ]Republic Airlines
Republic Airlines was an American airline formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways on July 1, 1979. Their headquarters were at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in what is now Fort Snelling in unincorporate ...
* Entry into service: August, 1981 with Republic Airlines
* Last delivery: November 17, 1997 to U-Land Airlines
U-Land Airlines () was a Taiwanese low-cost carrier based in Taipei. The airline was the first low-cost carrier in Taiwan, which operated domestic and short-haul international routes. Having gone bankrupt in 2001, it was affiliated to U-Land Buil ...
of Taiwan
The MD-82 was assembled under license in Shanghai by the Shanghai Aviation Industrial Corporation (SAIC, today's COMAC
, type = State-owned limited company
, industry = Aviation
, founded =
, founder =
, location_city = Pudong, Shanghai
, location_country = China
, area_served = Worldwide
, products = Commercial airliners
, services =
, key_people ...
) beginning in November 1986; the sub-assemblies were delivered by McDonnell Douglas in kit form.[ China had begun design on a cargo version, designated Y-13, but the project was subsequently canceled with the conclusion of the licensed assembly of the MD-82 and MD-90 in China. In 2012, Aeronautical Engineers Inc. performed the first commercial-freighter conversion of an MD-82.]
MD-83
The MD-83 (DC-9-83) is a longer-range version of the basic MD-81/82 with higher weights, more powerful engines, and increased fuel capacity.
;Powerplant: Compared to earlier models, the MD-83 is equipped with slightly more powerful -thrust Pratt and Whitney JT8D-219s as standard.
;Performance: The MD-83 features increased fuel capacity as standard (to ), which is carried in two auxiliary tanks located fore and aft of the center section. The aircraft also has higher operating weights, with MTOW increased to and MLW to . Typical range for the MD-83 with 155 passengers is around . To cope with the higher operating weights, the MD-83 incorporates strengthened landing gear including new wheels, tires, and brakes, changes to the wing skins, front spar web and elevator spar cap, and strengthened floor beams and panels to carry the auxiliary fuel tanks. From MD-80 line number 1194, an MD-81 delivered in September 1985, it is understood that all MD-80s have the same basic wing structure and in theory could be converted to MD-83 standard.[
;MD-83 timeline
* Announced/go-ahead: January 31, 1983
* First flight: December 17, 1984
* FAA certification: October 17, 1985 (MTOW ). MTOW of certified November 4, 1985.
* First delivery: February, 1985 to ]Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the numb ...
– initially as -82 powered by -217A engines and certified as MD-82s. Alaska Airlines' first four aircraft were subsequently re-engined and re-certified as MD-83s.
* Entry into service: February, 1985 with Alaska Airlines
* Last delivery: December 28, 1999 to TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with ...
MD-87
In January 1985, McDonnell Douglas announced it would produce a shorter-fuselage MD-80 variant, designated MD-87 (DC-9-87), which would seat between 109 and 130 passengers depending upon configuration. The designation was intended to indicate its planned date of entry into service, 1987.
;Dimensions: With an overall length of , the MD-87 is shorter than the other MD-80s but is otherwise generally similar to them, employing the same engines, systems and flight deck. The MD-87 features modifications to its tail, with a fin extension above the tailplane. It also introduced a new low-drag "beaver" tail cone, which became standard on all MD-80s.
;Powerplant: The MD-87 was offered with either the thrust JT8D-217C or the thrust -219.
;Performance: Two basic versions of the MD-87 were made available with either an MTOW of and MLW of or an MTOW of and an MLW of . Fuel capacity is , increasing to with the incorporation of two auxiliary fuel tanks. Typical range with 130 passengers, is increasing to with two auxiliary fuel tanks.
;Cabin: The MD-87 provides typical mixed-class seating for 114 passengers or 130 in an all-economy layout (five-abreast 31 in and 32 in seat pitch). The maximum seating, exit-limited, is for 139 passengers.
;MD-87 timeline
*Announced/go-ahead: January 1985
* First flight: December 4, 1986
* FAA certification: October 21, 1987
* First delivery: November 27, 1987 to Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines AG, often shortened to Austrian, is the flag carrier of Austria and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group. The airline is headquartered on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat where it also maintains its hub ...
* Last delivery: March 27, 1992 to Scandinavian Airlines
Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...
(SAS)
MD-88
The MD-88 was the last variant of the MD-80, which was launched on January 23, 1986, on the back of orders and options from Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
for a total of 80 aircraft.
The MD-88 is, depending on specification, basically similar to the MD-82 or MD-83 except it incorporates an EFIS cockpit instead of the more traditional analog flight deck of the other MD-80s. Other changes incorporated into the MD-88 include a wind-shear warning system and general updating of the cabin interior/trim. These detail changes are relatively minor and were written back as standard on the MD-82/83. The wind-shear warning system was offered as a standard option on all other MD-80s and has been made available for retrofitting on earlier aircraft including the DC-9.
Delta's initial eight aircraft were manufactured as MD-82s and upgraded to MD-88 specifications. MD-88 deliveries began in December 1987, and it entered service with Delta in January 1988. The final commercial passenger flight of an MD-88 within the United States took place on June 2, 2020, by a Delta flight from Washington Dulles
Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and Fai ...
to Atlanta. In 2021, Michigan's USA Jet Airlines added MD-88s to their ad-hoc operations' freighter fleet.
;Performance: The MD-88 has the same weight, range, and airfield performance as the other long-body aircraft (MD-82 and MD-83) and is powered by the same engines. MDC quotes a typical range for the MD-88 as with 155 passengers. Adding two additional auxiliary fuel tanks increases its 155-passenger range to (similar to the MD-83). A ''Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' article about the crash of Delta Air Lines Flight 1086
Delta Air Lines Flight 1086 was a scheduled Delta Air Lines domestic passenger flight between Atlanta and New York's LaGuardia Airport. On March 5, 2015, the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft veered off the runway shortly after landing at LaGu ...
at New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...
in March 2015 stated that "pilots and other safety experts have long known that when the MD-88's reversers are deployed, its rudder... sometimes may not be powerful enough to control deviations to the left or right from the center of a runway...safety board investigators, among other things, are looking to see if this tendency played any role in the crash..".[ ]
;MD-88 timeline
* Announced/go-ahead: January 23, 1986
* First flight: August 15, 1987
* FAA certification: December 8, 1987
* First delivery: December 19, 1987, to Delta Air Lines
* Entry into service: January 5, 1988, with Delta Air Lines
* Last delivery: June 25, 1997, to Onur Air
Onur Air ( tr, Onur Air Taşımacılık AŞ, often styled OnurAir or Onurair) was a low-cost airline with its headquarters in the Technical Hangar B at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Istanbul, Turkey. It operated mostly domestic schedu ...
* Final commercial flight in the U.S.: June 2, 2020, by Delta Air Lines[
]
Others (conversions)
The freighter conversion is available for the longer variants of MD-80 series (the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83 and MD-88), while the firefighter conversion is for the shortest variant, the MD-87.
AEI MD-80SF (freighter)
In February 2010, the Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) announced it was beginning a freighter conversion program for the MD-80 series. The converted aircraft use the ''MD-80SF'' (MD-80 special freghter) designation. AEI is solely certified by FAA and EASA to perform conversions on the longer variants of MD-80 series (the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83 and MD-88). The AEI MD-80SF freighter conversion consists of the installation of a 85"×136" large cargo door on the left side of the fuselage and modification of main deck to a ''Class E'' cargo compartment, with independent smoke detection system. Cabin windows replaced with lightweight aluminum window plugs. After conversion the freighter can carry twelve 88"×108" or eight 125"×88" ULDs or eight 125"×96" ULDs. The cargo door is hydraulically operated and actuated from the inside of the aircraft by an independent system. Hydraulic pressure is available from two sources; an electrically operated hydraulic pump or a manual hand pump. The door control and manual pump are located on the 9 g barrier, allowing a single person to operate the door manually. The installation of cargo doors and other structural changes are performed by Commercial Jet Inc. (CJI), which is licensed to install the AEI-designed conversion kit at its Dothan, Alabama facility.
EAT MD-87 (firefighter)
In 2013, five MD-87 aircraft formerly operated by Scandinavian Airlines
Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...
(SAS) were converted for aerial firefighting use by Aero Air/ Erickson Aero Tanker (EAT). The external tank (pod) is installed below the retardant tank doors, lowering the release point by 46 inches and thus reducing the possibility of retardant spreading over the wing that could be further ingested into the engines. On May 30, 2019, AerSale, a global supplier of mid-life aircraft, engines, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, announced that it had signed a contract with Aero Air/ Erickson Aero Tanker to build the sixth MD-87 firefighting air tanker, beginning conversion on April 1, 2019 at AerSale's MRO facility in Goodyear, Arizona
Goodyear (O'odham: ''Valin Thak'') is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is a suburb of Phoenix and at the 2020 census had a population of 95,294, up from 65,275 in 2010 and 18,911 in 2000. It was the third-fastest-growing ci ...
. The new air tanker will cruise at 450 knots, carry 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in all environments up to 40 degrees Celsius, boast a 900-mile loaded strike range, require only a 5,200-foot runway loaded, and both take off and land fully loaded.
Operators
Current operators
There were 116 MD-80 series aircraft in service as of August 2022 with operators including Aeronaves TSM
Aeronaves TSM is an airline company based in Saltillo, Mexico. The company was founded in 1995, and operates both chartered flights and cargo flights. Their aircraft are used for cargo operations and are operated for DHL Aviation. Aeronaves TSM a ...
(15), World Atlantic Airlines
Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc., trading as World Atlantic Airlines is an American airline operating on-demand and scheduled charter services. Its corporate headquarters are located in Virginia Gardens, Florida, Virginia Gardens, Florida.
History
Th ...
(9), LASER Airlines
LASER Airlines (legally and officially ''Línea Aérea de Servicio Ejecutivo Regional, C.A.'') is an airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates scheduled and passenger charter services within Venezuela, the Caribbean, and South America. It ...
(9), European Air Charter (8), Everts Air
Everts Air is an American airline based in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. It operates scheduled and charter airline cargo as well as passenger services within Alaska and Canada. Its main base is Fairbanks International Airport with its major h ...
(5), USA Jet Airlines
USA Jet Airlines is a small American cargo airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Willow Run Airport, and in Van Buren Township, Michigan
Van Buren Charter Township, officially the Charter Township of Van Buren, is a charter township ...
(5), and other carriers with smaller fleets.
Former operators
Major airlines that operated the MD-80 series:
* Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the numb ...
retired its MD-80 series aircraft after making its last commercial flight on August 25, 2008.
* American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
retired its MD-80 series aircraft after making its last commercial flight on September 4, 2019.
* Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
retired its MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft on June 2, 2020.
Deliveries
Accidents and incidents
, the MD-80 series has been involved in 89 major aviation accidents and incidents
An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of f ...
, including 46 hull-losses, with 1,446 fatalities of occupants.
Accidents with fatalities
* On December 1, 1981, Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308
Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308 was a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 aircraft operating a Yugoslavian charter flight to the French island of Corsica. On 1 December, 1981, the flight crashed on Corsica's Mont San-Pietro, killing all 180 people on boar ...
, MD-81 (YU-ANA), crashed into Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
's Mt. San Pietro during a holding pattern for landing at Campo dell'Oro Airport, Ajaccio
Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...
, France. All 180 passengers and crew were killed. This was the first-ever fatal incident involving the MD-80 series and also the deadliest.
* On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255
On August 16, 1987 a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm EDT (00:46 UTC August 17), resulting in the deaths of all six crew me ...
, an MD-82, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport, or simply DTW, is a major international airport in the United States covering effective December 30, 2021. in Romulus, Michigan. It is the primary ...
because the flight crew failed to use the taxi checklist to ensure that flaps and slats were extended for takeoff, according to the US National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
(NTSB). All crew and passengers were killed, with the exception of a four-year-old girl, Cecelia Cichan. Two people on the ground were also killed.
*On June 12, 1988, Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 46
Austral means ' southern', often in reference to the Southern Hemisphere.
Austral may also refer to:
Businesses
* Austral Líneas Aéreas, an Argentine airline
*Air Austral, an airline based in Réunion
*Austral (bus manufacturer), a defunct Au ...
, MD-81 (N1003G), crashed short of the runway at Libertador General José de San Martín Airport
Libertador General José de San Martín Airport ( es, Aeropuerto de Posadas "Libertador General San Martín") is located southwest of the center of Posadas, a city in the Misiones Province of Argentina. The airport covers an area of 329 hectar ...
, in Posadas, Misiones
Posadas () is the capital city of the Argentine province of Misiones, in its south, at the far north-east of the country on the left bank of the Paraná River, opposite Encarnación, Paraguay. The city has an area of and a population of 324,756 ...
. All 22 passengers and crew were killed.
* On October 26, 1993, China Eastern Airlines Flight 5398
China Eastern Airlines Flight 5398 (MU5398) was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airliner from Shenzhen's Bao'an International Airport to Fuzhou Yixu Airport in Fujian. On 26 October 1993, it crashed on approach to Fuzhou Yixu Airport. The aircraft ov ...
, MD-82 (B-2103), overran the runway on landing at Fuzhou Yixu Airport Fuzhou Yixu International Airport (福州义序机场) was a formerly civil and military dual-use airport located in the south side of Gaogai Mountain, Nantai Island, Cangshan District, near downtown Fuzhou, Fujian Province.
It was the main airpo ...
in poor visibility due to pilot error, killing two of 80 on board.
* On November 13, 1993, China Northern Airlines Flight 6901
China Northern Airlines Flight 6901 (CJ6901) was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airliner from Beijing's Capital International Airport to Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport in Xinjiang, China. On November 13, 1993, it crashed on approach to Ürümq ...
, MD-82 (B-2141) crashed before landing at Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport
Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport is an airport serving Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. It is located in Diwopu township of Xinshi district, northwest of downtown Ürümqi. A hub for C ...
in Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, killing twelve of the 102 passengers and crew on board.
* On July 6, 1996, Delta Air Lines Flight 1288
Delta Air Lines Flight 1288 was a regularly scheduled flight from Pensacola, Florida, to Atlanta, Georgia. On July 6, 1996, the aircraft serving the flight, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, was on takeoff roll from Runway 17 at Pensacola when it exp ...
, an MD-88, attempting to take off from Pensacola Regional Airport experienced an uncontained, catastrophic turbine engine failure that caused debris from the front compressor hub of the number one left engine to penetrate the left aft fuselage. The penetrating debris left two passengers dead and two severely injured; all were from the same family. The pilot aborted takeoff, and the airplane stopped on the runway.
* On June 1, 1999, American Airlines Flight 1420
American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. On June 1, 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Flight 1420 overran the runway upon l ...
, an MD-82, attempting to land in severe weather conditions at Little Rock Airport, overshot the runway and crashed into the banks of the Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
. Eleven people, including the captain, died.
* On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was an Alaska Airlines flight of a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000, roughly north of Anacapa Island, California, following a catastrophic loss of pitch control, k ...
, an MD-83, crashed in the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
because it lost horizontal stabilizer control. All 88 passengers and crew on board were killed. Following the crash, an improperly maintained Acme
Acme is Ancient Greek (ακμή; English transliteration: ''akmē'') for "the peak", "zenith" or "prime". It may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Acme'' (album), an album by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
* Acme and Septimius, a fictional ...
nut and jackscrew recovered from the aircraft were found to be excessively worn. An airworthiness directive (AD) was issued by the FAA requiring more frequent inspections and lubrication of the jackscrew assembly.["Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9, Model MD-90-30, Model 717-200, and Model MD-88 Airplanes"]
* On October 8, 2001, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 686, MD-87 (SE-DMA) collided with a Cessna Citation CJ2
The Cessna CitationJet/CJ/M2 (also known as the Model 525) are a series of light business jets built by Cessna, and are part of the Citation family.
Launched in October 1989, the first flight of the Model 525 was on April 29, 1991. Federal Avi ...
jet (D-IEVX) during takeoff at Linate Airport
Milan Linate Airport is the third international airport of Milan, the second-largest city and largest urban area of Italy, behind Malpensa Airport and Orio al Serio Airport. It served 9,233,475 passengers in 2018, being the fifth busiest airp ...
, Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Italy. The Linate Airport disaster left 118 people dead and remains the deadliest air disaster in Italy. The cause of the accident was a misunderstanding between air traffic controllers and the Cessna jet, complicated by inoperative ground movement radar at the time of the accident. The SAS crew had no role in causing the accident.
* On May 7, 2002, China Northern Airlines Flight 6136
China Northern Airlines Flight 6136 (CBF6136/CJ6136) was a Chinese domestic passenger flight from Beijing Capital International Airport to Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport. On 7 May 2002, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating the flight c ...
, MD-82 (B-2138), from Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
to Dalian
Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on the ...
, crashed into Dalian Bay near Dalian after the pilot reported "fire on board". All 112 people on board were killed. Investigators determined that the fire had been set by a suicidal passenger.
* On November 30, 2004, Lion Air Flight 583
Lion Air Flight 538 (JT 538) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, to Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, with a stopover at Adi Sumarmo Airport, Surakarta, Indonesia. On 30 November ...
, an MD-82, crashed on landing at Adi Sumarmo Airport
Adisumarmo International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Adisumarmo) is an airport in Boyolali Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. It is located 14 km north of Surakarta city. It is the main airport of Boyolali and Surakarta and the ...
in Surakarta
Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoh ...
, Indonesia and overran the end of the runway, killing 25 of 163 on board.
* On August 16, 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 708
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 was a West Caribbean Airways charter flight that crashed in northwest Venezuela in the early hours of Tuesday, 16 August 2005, killing all 160 passengers and crew on board. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80, ...
, an MD-82, crashed in a mountainous region in northwest Venezuela killing all 152 passengers and eight crew.
* On September 16, 2007, One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269
One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269 (OG269) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand. On 16 September 2007, about 15:41 ICT, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating the flight crashed into an embankment beside runway 27 ...
, an MD-82, crashed at the side of the runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
and exploded after an apparent attempt to execute a go-around
In aviation, a go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach or has already touched down. A go-around can either be initiated by the pilot flying or requested by air traffic control for various reasons, such as an unstab ...
in bad weather at Phuket International Airport
Phuket International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานภูเก็ต, ) is an international airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is in the north of Phuket Island, from the centre of Phuket City. The airport pl ...
in Phuket
Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
, Thailand. Of the 130 passengers and crew on board, 90 were killed.
* On November 30, 2007, Atlasjet Flight 4203
Atlasjet Flight 4203 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Istanbul Atatürk Airport in Istanbul to Isparta Süleyman Demirel Airport in Isparta Province, Turkey. On 30 November 2007, the aircraft operating the flight – an McDonnell D ...
, an MD-83, crashed in the southwestern province of Isparta, Turkey, killing all 57 passengers and seven crew. The cause of the crash was attributed to pilot spatial disorientation
Spatial disorientation results in a person being unable to determine their position or relative motion, commonly occurring during periods of challenging visibility, since vision is the dominant sense for orientation. The auditory system, vestibular ...
.
* On August 20, 2008, Spanair Flight 5022
Spanair Flight 5022 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Barcelona–El Prat Airport to Gran Canaria Airport, Spain, via Madrid–Barajas Airport that crashed just after take-off from runway 36L at Madrid Airport at 14:24 CES ...
, MD-82 (EC-HFP), from Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
's Barajas Airport
Barajas may refer to:
*Barajas (Madrid), the district of Madrid in which the airport lies
**Barajas (Madrid Metro), station along Line 8 of the Madrid Metro
**Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, principal airport of Madrid, Spain
*Barajas (ar ...
crashed shortly after takeoff on a flight to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the most populous city in the auton ...
in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
. The MD-82 had 162 passengers and ten crew on board, of whom 18 survived. The crash was caused by attempting to take off with the flaps and slats retracted. The flight crew omitted the "set flaps and slats" item in both the After Start checklist and the Takeoff Imminent checklist and the takeoff warning system (TOWS), which should have emitted an audio warning on the runway when the throttles were advanced for takeoff with the airplane wrongly configured for takeoff did not sound.
* On June 3, 2012, Dana Air Flight 992
Dana Air Flight 0992 was a scheduled Nigerian domestic passenger flight from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria. On 3 June 2012, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft serving the route suffered a dual-engine failure during its approach to Lagos. It failed ...
, MD-83 (5N-RAM), crashed into a two-story building in Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, caused by engine failure. All 153 passengers and crew on board were killed, as well as 10 on the ground.
* On July 24, 2014, Air Algérie Flight 5017
Air Algérie Flight 5017 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to Algiers, Algeria, which crashed near Gossi, Mali, on 24 July 2014. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 twinjet with 110 passengers and 6 crew on bo ...
, MD-83, registration EC-LTV, a scheduled flight from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to Algiers, Algeria, operated with an MD-83 leased from Swiftair. The aircraft crashed southeast of Gossi
Gossi is a town and rural commune in the Cercle of Gourma-Rharous of the Tombouctou Region of Mali, lying northeast of Hombori and southwest of Gao. The town is just to the west of the main RN15 highway that links Mopti with Gao. It is on a sea ...
, Mali, about 50 minutes after takeoff. All 110 passengers and six crew were killed.
Hull losses
* On December 27, 1991, SAS Flight 751
Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 was a regularly scheduled Scandinavian Airlines passenger flight from Stockholm, Sweden, to Warsaw, Poland, via Copenhagen, Denmark. On 27 December 1991, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 operating the flight, r ...
, an MD-81 (OY-KHO, ''Dana Viking''), crash-landed at Gottröra
Gottröra is a village in Norrtälje Municipality in the province of Uppland, Sweden. Several hundred ancient monuments are registered in Gottröra.
In 1991, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751
Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 was a reg ...
, Sweden. In the initial climb, both engines ingested ice
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
broken loose from the wings (although they had been properly deiced before departure). The ice damaged the compressor blades causing compressor stall. The stall further caused repeated engine surges that finally destroyed both engines, leaving the aircraft with no thrust
Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that syst ...
. The aircraft landed in a snowy field and broke into three parts. No fire occurred, and all aboard survived.
* On March 16, 2007, Kish Air
Kish Airlines ( fa, هواپیمایی کیش, ''Havāpeymāyi-e Kish'') is an airline operating from Kish Island, Iran. It operates international, domestic and charter services as a scheduled carrier. Its main bases are Kish International Airpor ...
MD-82 (LZ-LDD) leased from Bulgarian Air Charter
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
was damaged beyond repair in a hard landing accident at Kish Island Airport. There were no fatalities.
* On January 24, 2012, Swiftair
Swiftair S.A. is an airline headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It operates scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo flights in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Its main base is Madrid–Barajas Airport.
History
The airline was founded ...
Flight 94, an MD-83 (EC-JJS), suffered a wingtip strike while landing at Kandahar Airport
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, also referred to as Kandahar International Airport ( ps, د کندهار نړيوال هوايي ډګر) and by some military officials as Kandahar Airfield, KAF) , is located about south-east of the city Ka ...
, Afghanistan. Although there were no injuries to the 92 passengers and crew on board, the starboard wing sustained a broken main spar, and the aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair. It was consequently scrapped at Kandahar.
* On March 5, 2015, Delta Air Lines Flight 1086
Delta Air Lines Flight 1086 was a scheduled Delta Air Lines domestic passenger flight between Atlanta and New York's LaGuardia Airport. On March 5, 2015, the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft veered off the runway shortly after landing at LaGu ...
, an MD-88 (N909DL), skidded off the runway on landing at LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...
, New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
in snowy weather, suffering severe damage. A few minor injuries occurred during evacuation via the emergency chutes. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
were reportedly focusing on the aircraft's braking system and rudder.[
* On March 8, 2017, ]Ameristar Charters Flight 9363
Ameristar Charters Flight 9363 was an air charter flight from Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan to Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, which experienced a rejected takeoff and runway excursion on March 8, 2017 as the resu ...
, MD-83 (N786TW), overran the end of runway 23L at Willow Run Airport
Willow Run Airport is an airport in Van Buren Charter Township and Ypsilanti Township, near Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States that serves freight, corporate, and general aviation. Due to its very close proximity to Detroit Metropolitan Ai ...
in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan.
As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and ...
, after rejecting a takeoff at very high speed due to a jammed elevator which could not be detected prior to the attempted takeoff. Only one injury occurred among the 116 on board, but the aircraft's belly and wings were substantially damaged after its landing gear collapsed during the overrun, and it was eventually written off.
* On June 14, 2018, Bravo Airways Flight 4406, an MD-83 (UR-CPR), slid off the runway on landing at Igor Sikorsky International Airport following an unstable approach; all 176 on board survived.
* On January 27, 2020, Caspian Airlines Flight 6936
On 27 January 2020, Caspian Airlines Flight 6936 overran the runway on landing at Mahshahr Airport, Iran, on a domestic flight from Tehran. All 144 people on board survived, with two injured.
Accident
Flight 6936 departed from Tehran at 06:35 l ...
, an MD-83, overran the end of the Mahshahr Airport
Mahshahr Airport is an airport in Mahshahr, Iran.
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
*On 27 January 2020, Caspian Airlines Flight 6936
On 27 January 2020, Caspian Airlines Flight 6936 overran the runway on landing at Mahshah ...
's runway 13 with 144 people on board. There were two injuries; the aircraft received substantial damage.
* On October 19, 2021, an MD-87, registration N987AK, crashed on take-off from Houston Executive Airport
Houston Executive Airport is a public-use airport in unincorporated area, unincorporated Waller County, Texas, Waller County, Texas, United States. The airport is located 28 nautical miles (52 km) west of Downtown Houston, Downtown Houston, ...
. All 21 people on board survived but the aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire. During examination of the intact tail section, it was found that both left and right elevators were jammed in a trailing edge down position. The aircraft was chartered to fly the passengers to Boston for a Red Sox baseball game.
* On June 21, 2022, Red Air Flight 203, an MD-82 (reg. HI1064), suffered a landing gear collapse and runway excursion upon landing at Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the greater Miami metropolitan area with over 1,000 daily flights to 167 domestic and international destinations, including most co ...
, causing the right wing to catch fire. There were three minor injuries among the 140 passengers and crew, but the aircraft was written off.
Aircraft on display
* N259AA (cn 49289) – MD-82 on display at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum (TASM) is an ''aerospace museum'' in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It is located in the northwest corner of the Tulsa International Airport property. It has of historical exhibits, hands-on activities, and vintage ...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
. The cabin has been converted into a movie theater to become the "MD-80 Discovery Center".
* N292AA (cn 49304) – MD-82 is on static display at the Carolina Children's Museum in Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina (; ) is a city and municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto; north of Gurabo and Juncos; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread ove ...
.
* N491AA (cn 49684) – MD-82 owned by Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
and located at the Stillwater Regional Airport
Stillwater Regional Airport is in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States, three miles (4.8 km) northwest of Stillwater.
History
After World War II the airfield was one of six locations in the nation that stored surplus military aircraft ...
in Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater ( iow, Ñápinⁿje, ''meaning: "Water quiet"'') is a city in, and the county seat of, Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51. As of th ...
. It is used by the university's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as part of its education programs.
* N948TW (cn 49575) is an MD-83 preserved by the Tristar Experience organization at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport serving Kansas City, Missouri. Located in Clay County, this facility is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, which categorized it as a general aviat ...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
. It is displayed as it appeared in service with Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
in a special reversed-color "Wings of Pride" livery in the 1990s.
* I-SMEL (cn 49247) – a former Meridiana
Meridiana Fly S.p.A., operating as Meridiana (formerly named ''Meridiana S.p.A.''), was a privately owned Italian airline headquartered in Olbia with its main base at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport. It operated scheduled and charter flights to do ...
MD-82 is displayed at the Volandia Park and Flight Museum in Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
.
Specifications
See also
References
Sources
* Becher, Thomas. ''Douglas Twinjets, DC-9, MD-80, MD-90 and Boeing 717''. The Crowood Press, 2002. .
* Michell, Simon. ''Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994–95'' Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 1994. .
* Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83''. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. .
* Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1988. .
* Thisdell, Dan and Fafard, Antoine. "World Airliner Census". ''Flight International'', Volume 190, No. 5550, 9–15 August 2016. pp. 20–43.
External links
Historical Snapshot MD-80 and MD-90
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcdonnell Douglas MD-80
McDonnell Douglas MD-80
1980s United States airliners
MD-080
Twinjets
T-tail aircraft
Low-wing aircraft