Any DC-10 pilots out there?
 

I'm researching on a documentary for National Geographic Channel about the crash of flight 191 (a DC-10-10) in 1979 just outside Chicago airport. I was hoping there might be a DC-10 pilot/ex-pilot or someone who has worked with these planes who might be able to help us with a few questions. Primarily we are trying to locate a hydraulics diagram of a DC-10, even just a basic outline if possible. There is also a few other small details we would really like to hear direct from someone who has worked with these aircraft. Is there anyone who might be able to help, perhaps even speak briefly on the phone? Any help would be hugely appreciated...

Jez Bradshaw

www.kc-10.net may have info that will help.

Actually, a lot of professionals in aviation are very wary of the media in any form, probably because too many journalists have never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Don't be surprised if you are not exactly swamped with offers of help.

At least you were up-front about it. Try a search of the forums using DC-10 as a key-word. There's probably some helpful info in the archives, especially Tech-Log.

Also, "Air Disaster" Vol 2 by Macarthur Job, chapter 4 deals with this crash in some detail. (ISBN 1 875671 19 6)

DC10 Operative
 

.........You could do worse than contact American Airlines direct. At this stage I'm sure you will get a balanced insight from the people directly involved. The maintenance base is ( or was when I last visited ) at Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The DC10 was, in it's day, an interestingly different aircraft, with a fair measure of 'cutting edge' technology. A lot of the bad press was unfair.

Just for the record, I trained as an AA external customer on the DC10-10 /30 shortly after the Chicago accident. I then flew the DC10-30 as a captain for the next six years. The ones I operated ran like sewing machines, and virtually fault free for all that time.

Christ this one's been done to death....bad maintainance, septics cutting corners at AA with their big forklift yadda yadda blah blah.

Can't Nat Geo find a new prang to disect painfully and speculate wildly about?