The DC-8 series, including Series 30 and 40, were the first to use turbojet engines with 17,500-pound thrust. The Series 50 was the first to be powered by new, more efficient turbofan jet engines ...

But the tragic death of Roberto Clemente was only the most newsworthy story in the history of the DC-7, an airplane decreed by the powers that be must close out the era of piston-engine airliners ...