1972

Early 1972Mc Donnell - Douglas presents the DC-10 TWIN project, a twin-engined DC-10 version which should compete with the Airbus A300B.
  
January 17thIberia orders three DC-10-30s and places five options.
  
February 9thA DC-10 has an incident with engine #3 near New York.
  
February 23rdLaker acquires two DC-10-10s by taking up two of the five aircraft ordered by Mitsui for All Nippon Airways.
  
February 28thThe first DC-10-20 (later DC-10-40), 46750/ 28, makes its 4h 10 min maiden flight.
  
FebruaryMartinair Holland orders four DC-10-30F(CF).
  
April 10thUpon request of Northwest Orient Airlines, the DC-10-20 is resignated DC-10-40.
  
April 12thVIASA orders two DC-10-30s.
  
April 14thContinental recieves its first DC-10-10.
  
AprilContinental Airlines orders three DC-10-10CFs and becomes launch costumer for this model.
  
June 5thAeroméxico orders two DC-10-30s.
  
June 11thOn a flight from Detroit to Buffalo, NY the cargo door of American Airlines'46503/ 5 blows open over Windsor Ontario. The severely damaged aircraft returns safely to Detroit. This becomes known as the "Windsor Incident".
  
June 21stThe first DC-10-30, 46550/ 46, makes its 5h 25 min maiden flight from Long Beach.
  
July 3rdService bulletin 52-27 was issued to replace the infamous cargo door closing system. This recommendation was only followed seriously by United Airlines, while all other operators were very slow in implementing the modifications.
  
July 21stA DC-10-10 (46705/ 33) called Friendship ’72 makes a sales tour around Asia, Europe and through the United States.
  
SeptemberThe DC-10 TWIN is renamed DC-X-200.
  
September 25thTHY Turkish Airlines agrees to acquire the other three DC-10-10s from the Mitsui contract.
  
OctoberA DC-10-40 is on sales tour in Asia and South America.
  
October 27thThe DC-10-40 gets the FAA type certification.
  
November 10thNorthwest Orient Airlines recieves its first DC-10-40, 46752/ 53
  
November 21stThe DC-10-30 gets the FAA type certification. KLM and Swissair receive their first aircraft, KLM's 46551/ 60 and Swissair's 46575/ 57.

Laker Airways introduces the DC-10 in Europe with a DC-10-10 flight from London/ Gatwick to Palma de Mallorca.
  
November 30thVARIG orders two plus two DC-10-30s
  
December 13thNorthwest Orient Airlines inaugurates DC-10-40 service with a fligth from Minneapolis/ St. Paul to Milwaukee.
  
December 15thA Swissair DC-10-30 makes the first transatlantic DC-10 flight from Zurich to Montreal.

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