The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine medium- to long-range wide body airliner. The model was a successor to the company's DC-8 for long-range operations, and competed in the same markets as the Airbus A300, Boeing 747, and Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, which has a similar layout to the DC-10.

The DC-10 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit with a single fin and rudder. It has a retractable tricycle landing gear; the later series 30 and 40 have an additional two-wheel main landing gear. It is powered by two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. It was designed to be a medium to long-range airliner with a wide body fuselage to seat over 250 passengers. It is operated by a crew of three located on the flight deck in the nose on the same level as the passenger cabin. The fuselage has under