UPS and FedEx Ground MD-11 Freighters for Safety Review
US cargo carriers UPS Airlines (UPS) and FedEx Express (FedEx) have temporarily halted operations of their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD‑11F freighter aircraft following the fatal crash earlier this week.
The action comes after a UPS-operated MD-11 crashed during takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Nov. 4, killing all three crew members on board and at least 11 people on the ground.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crash involved the left-hand engine and pylon detaching from the aircraft during the takeoff roll.
Boeing, which acquired the MD-11 programme when it merged with McDonnell Douglas Corporation in 1997, recommended grounding the aircraft “out of an abundance of caution” while additional engineering analysis is performed.
UPS said its roughly 26-plane MD-11 fleet (about 9 % of its total fleet) was grounded “proactively” on Boeing’s recommendation. FedEx said it had immediately grounded its 28 MD-11s (out of a total fleet of about 700 aircraft) while conducting a safety review.
The FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive prohibiting MD-11 flights until inspections and any necessary fixes are complete. The directive applies to all operators of the type.
Industry analysts point out that while the MD-11 freighter is an older design (deliveries ended in 2000), it remains in service with cargo operators such as UPS, FedEx, and Western Global Airlines.
The grounding and inspection mandate could cause short-term disruptions in overnight cargo operations, though carriers emphasise safety is the overriding priority. The crash and resulting review underscore the risks associated with ageing aircraft types and the need for rigorous oversight.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, including the maintenance history of the aircraft and the sequence of events in the cockpit, where a repeating alarm bell was recorded some 37 seconds after takeoff thrust was applied.
As of now, no timeline has been given for when the MD-11 fleet may return to service. Regulators, Boeing and the operators say resumption will depend on the outcome of detailed inspections and analysis.
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