Originally Posted by
Wickerbill
I have heard from numerous sources that the MD11 is a difficult plane to fly and some have theorised that the relatively high accident rate of the type (8 or 9 write-offs?) may be the result of this. Most of this comes from people who have never flown the type, so I was wondering if any current or former MD11 pilots could share their opinion? Are they totally different to a DC10?
From talking to MD11 pilots, the plane also has less rudder authority when compared to other aircraft. My ERJ145, for example, lacks in aileron authority. This means that when landing in high crosswind we actually touchdown with full aileron deflection. Without it, you won’t land. In the MD11, I think this lack of rudder authority has caused issues because, as you know, when you kick the rudder and add a horizontal component of lift, you lose vertical component of lift as the plane only generates so much lift. I think this might play into what causes the plane to land very hard on one side, crushing one main gear and causing a roll over.