PR drive to extol DC-10 reliability

McDonnell Douglas Corporation has launched a multimillion-dollar advertising and public relations blitz to convince air travelers that its DC-10 is safe to fly, Monitor correspondent Ron Scherer reports.

Sanford N. McDonnell, president and chief executive officer, told a press conference here that "there is no longer any reason for anyone to question the DC-10's airworthiness and dependability."

He said the DC-10 has received a clean bill of health since the fatal Chicago crash on May 25, 1979. The Federal Aviation Administration blamed the crash on poor airplane maintenance, not design.

The aerospace company will use former astronaut Charles (Pete) Conrad as its spokesman for the campaign that includes TV and large-scale print advertising.