The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday ordered the grounding of all MD-11 cargo aircraft pending inspections, following this week’s fatal UPS crash in Louisville, Kentucky, that killed at least 14 people.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, operated by UPS, burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, narrowly missing a nearby Ford assembly plant employing about 3,000 workers. The plane was reportedly carrying about 38,000 gallons (144,000 liters) of fuel en route to Hawaii.
“The airplane’s left-hand engine and pylon detached during takeoff,” the FAA said in its emergency directive, adding that the order “prohibits further flight until the aircraft is inspected and all applicable corrective actions are performed.”
The grounding applies to MD-11 and MD-11F models. The FAA said it determined that the “unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same design.”
UPS confirmed Friday it had temporarily grounded its MD-11 fleet “out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety.” The aircraft type makes up roughly nine percent of its global fleet.
FedEx followed suit on Saturday, grounding its 28 MD-11s—part of a total fleet of about 700 aircraft—while conducting a safety review.
Both carriers said they acted on a recommendation from Boeing, which acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997.
“We have recommended to the three operators of the MD-11 Freighter that they suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed,” Boeing said in a statement.
The only other US carrier using the MD-11 is Western Global Airlines.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed Saturday that another victim had been located, bringing the death toll to 14.
“Please pray for these families, the Louisville community, and everyone affected by this terrible event,” Beshear said on X (formerly Twitter).
Aerial footage of the crash site showed a long trail of debris and heavy smoke as firefighters battled the blaze.
Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said investigators had recovered both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, which have been sent to Washington, D.C., for analysis.
The NTSB said the aircraft was built in 1991 and later converted for cargo use. The crash is believed to be the deadliest in UPS history. The company’s main air hub, Worldport, is located in Louisville and employs thousands of workers.
The disaster comes amid the longest US government shutdown in history, which has strained federal aviation agencies. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned earlier this week of potential “mass chaos” in the skies due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
However, NTSB officials said there was no indication of staffing shortages at the Louisville control tower at the time of the crash.
