The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Nov. 8 said it was barring all flights of MD-11 planes, pending inspection, after the crash of a UPS MD-11 cargo freighter four days prior that caused at least 14 deaths in Kentucky.
UPS and FedEx stated that they have now grounded their entire combined fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo jets, following recommendations from Boeing. The grounding was implemented after Flight 2976 crashed during takeoff at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4. At least 14 people have been killed—including three crew members.
The crash occurred after the plane’s left engine and pylon detached during takeoff in Louisville. The incident remains under investigation.
The FAA stated that it issued the emergency airworthiness directive following the conditions that created the crash.
“This condition could result in loss of continued safe flight and landing,” the agency stated. “The FAA is issuing this [airworthiness directive] because the agency has determined the unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.”
On Nov. 8, Boeing stated that it supports the FAA’s order.
FedEx, which operates 28 MD-11s in its fleet of 700 jets, stated that it was “immediately implementing contingency plans” to limit disruptions.
UPS stated that it had also decided to ground its fleet of MD-11 cargo planes after the crash.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,” UPS wrote in a statement on Nov. 7.
The MD-11 was headed from Louisville, Kentucky, to Honolulu, Hawaii, when the left engine detached from the plane’s wing during takeoff on Nov. 4.
“MD-11s are approximately 9% of the UPS Airlines fleet,” UPS stated.
“The grounding is effective immediately. We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve.”
The plane that was involved in the Nov. 4 deadly crash was manufactured in 1991.
“Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the reliable service our customers around the world count on,” UPS said in its statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that no maintenance was performed on the aircraft immediately before takeoff; however, it is investigating all maintenance records, including the time the plane was grounded in San Antonio for six weeks.
“Our belief is that there was not a maintenance issue regarding that aircraft prior to the flight subject,” NTSB official Todd Inman said.
The Epoch Times contacted UPS to ask for additional details regarding the grounding in Texas. The global shipping and logistics company did not comment by publication time.
Louisville is home to UPS’s largest package handling facility in the world, with 20,000 staffers and 300 daily flights.
Three crew members on board the UPS Flight were among those who died after the plane cleared a fence and crashed into local businesses nearby, leaving a large debris scene just outside the airport grounds.
Captain Richard Wartenberg, first officer Lee Truitt, and international relief officer Captain Dana Diamond only had 25 seconds to respond to emergency notifications before the plane hit Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, according to officials.
The NTSB is investigating the cause of the accident.
The coroner has not named the other victims, who include a young child shopping with their family.
The death toll increased to 14 on Nov. 7 when the remains of a person were found at the crash site, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced on X.
“We pray for each of the victim’s families and pray that no additional victims are lost as our first responders continue to search and seek answers that we all are looking for,” Greenberg said.
Crews are working to recover and identify the bodies in the wreckage.
The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport was fully operational just before the FAA-mandated flight reductions, which began on Nov. 7, due to the government shutdown.
The airport has experienced eight delays and eight cancellations as of noon on Nov. 8, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
