On June 6 , 1979 , two weeks after the crash , the Federal Aviation Administration suspended the type certificate for the DC-10 , thereby grounding all DC-10s under its jurisdiction . It also enacted a special air regulation banning the DC-10 from U.S. airspace , which prevented foreign DC-10s not under the jurisdiction of the FAA from flying within the country . This was done while the FAA investigated whether or not the airplane 's engine mounting and pylon design met relevant requirements . Once the FAA was satisfied that maintenance issues were primarily at fault and not the actual design of the aircraft , the type certificate was restored on July 13 and the special air regulation repealed . However , the type certificate was amended , stating that " ... removal of the engine and pylon as a unit will immediately render the aircraft un-airworthy . " Another DC-10 , performing Western Airlines Flight 2605 , crashed in Mexico City after a red-eye flight from Los Angeles barely 5 months after the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 . The Western Airlines DC-10 's crash , however , was due to low visibility and an attempt to land on a closed runway through , reportedly , confusion of its crew . The crash of yet another DC-10 at the end of November , Air New Zealand Flight 901 , exactly six months after Flight 191 , added to the DC-10 's negative reputation . The crash of Flight 901 , an Antarctic sightseeing flight which hit a mountain , was caused by several human and environmental factors not related to the airworthiness of the DC-10 , and the aircraft was later completely exonerated in that accident
Air New Zealand Flight 901
Air New Zealand Flight 901
American Airlines Flight 191