Plane Had Good Safety Record

The American Airlines jet that crashed off the edge of a runway at Little Rock National Airport, a Super MD-80, is a narrow-body jet derived from a DC-9.

The MD-80, designed by McDonnell Douglas' commercial airframe division in Long Beach, Calif., is a twin-jet version of the more widely known DC-9, with a single aisle and an engine on each side of the tail.

The MD-80 went into service in 1980 and has had at least five variations (including the Super) that offer different ranges, seating capacities and cockpit electronics. The jetliners sold for $26 million in 1984 and have been flown by many airlines on short-to-medium trips.

The MD-80 series was almost solely responsible for returning the St. Louis-based McDonnell Douglas to profitability in 1985 after more than a decade of red ink.

BOEING The Super MD-80 is a narrow-bodied jet, certified by the FAA in August of 1980. It is a modern-technology successor to the DC-9 twinjet. The MD-80 is 147 feet, 11 inches long and accommodates 144 passengers in a two-class configuration. Its nonstop flying range is from 1,580 to 2,750 statute miles, depending on the model. American Airlines operates the largest fleet of MD-80s at 260. (AP, Boeing)

The MD-80 has been a very reliable airplane,CBS News Correspondent Bob Orr reports. It is most commonly used by American Airlines on short routes.

In November 1997, the Boeing Co. announced it would phase out the MD-80 and MD-90 passenger aircraft models it inherited when it bought McDonnell Douglas.

Boeing's Web site says that 1,167 copies of various MD-80 versions have been delivered. American Airlines operates the largest number of MD-80s, a fleet of 260.

On Aug. 16, 1987, a Northwest Airlines MD-80 crashed on takeoff at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, killing 156.