The search focused on an area some 60 miles from the airport, where the fan section of the aircraft's tail engine blew apart in flight.

While crossing, the tail engine derailed, and the train came to a stop with its second E404 partially suspended above the cliff.

However, all three hydraulic systems were in close proximity, directly beneath the tail engine.

The plane was built in 1972, airline officials said, but they had no immediate information on the performance history of the plane or its tail engine.

"Gauges say we lost our tail engine," he said pessimistically.

Federal safety officials continued their search for the turbofan section of the tail engine.

Some reports from that incident indicated that the DC-10 had lost the rear part of its tail engine.

Pilots said they lost hydraulic steering control after the plane's tail engine exploded.

The flight data recorder showed that beginning two minutes after the loss of power from the tail engine, there were no changes in the flight controls.

Similarly, the age of the tail engine, which was within a few months of its 16,000-flight legal limit, was not necessarily an issue.