The MD-11, which went into service in 1991 with its distinctive third engine on the tail, was haunted by safety concerns throughout its production life. Based on the DC-10, it was heavily computer-reliant and began developing seemingly unrelated glitches soon after entering service.
Boeing took over production from McDonnell Douglas and made a series of design modifications as the aircraft began accumulating an unusually high accident and incident toll.
Those changes failed to stop the rot. Only about 200 were made. Production was phased out at the end of the decade as the unprofitable and tragedy-scarred model failed to attract new buyers.
December 7, 1992: The China Airlines MD-11 that would seven years later crash at Chek Lap Kok hits moderate turbulence at 10,000 metres, disengaging the autopilot. The plane stalls four times. The captain spends 10 minutes struggling to regain control. No one is injured.
April 6, 1993: A China Eastern Airlines MD-11 flying from Beijing to Los Angeles plummets 1,500 metres when wing slats are inadvertently deployed, disengaging the autopilot. Two passengers die and 149 are injured. Seven crew members are also injured, with one suffering severe brain damage.
November 4, 1994: A FedEx MD-11 that would three years later crash at Newark, New Jersey, suffers a tail strike when the tip of the plane hits the runway at Anchorage, Alaska.
May 16, 1996: A FedEx MD-11 freighter runs into wake turbulence from a Boeing 747 and suffers substantial damage as it lands at Anchorage.