UPS, FedEx ground MD-11 cargo planes after deadly Kentucky crash

Fire and smoke mark where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport on November 4, in Kentucky. Photo / Getty Images

Freight carriers UPS and FedEx have grounded their fleets of MD-11 cargo planes, after one of them was involved in a deadly crash in Kentucky, the United States, this week.

A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft operated by UPS exploded into flames when it crashed shortly after take-off on Tuesday (local time) from Louisville’s airport, killing at least 14 people. A three-person crew was aboard.

Both carriers said they were acting on a recommendation from the plane’s manufacturer to halt the use of the planes. McDonnell Douglas originally made the MD-11 but was acquired by Boeing in 1997.

“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 said .

“The grounding is effective immediately. We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer,” the courier added.

It said around 9% of UPS’ fleet are MD-11s.

FedEx said it, too, had grounded its 28 MD-11s out of a total fleet of around 700 aircraft as it conducts a safety review.

“With safety as our top priority, we recommended to the three operators of the MD-11 freighter that they suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed,” Boeing said.

Besides UPS and FedEx, the only other carrier using the MD-11 is Western Global Airlines.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said another crash victim had been found, bringing the total number to 14.

“Please pray for these families, the Louisville community and everyone affected by this terrible event,” he said on X.

Trail of debris

The plane, filled with around 144,000 litres of fuel for the long-haul flight to Hawaii, narrowly missed a major Ford vehicle assembly plant that employs about 3000 people.

Aerial footage of the crash site showed a long trail of debris as firefighters poured water on the flames, with smoke billowing from the area.

Investigators have said the crash was caused by one of the engines catching fire and detaching during takeoff.

Todd Inman, a member of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said that investigators had identified the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder - known as a plane’s black boxes - and would send them to Washington for analysis.

The crash was reportedly the deadliest in UPS history. Its main hub, Worldport, is in Louisville, where it employs thousands of people.

According to the NTSB, the plane was built in 1991 and was modified into a cargo aircraft.

The crash comes amid the longest government shutdown in US history, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warning of “mass chaos” in the skies because of a insufficient air traffic control staff.

Inman said the NTSB was not aware of any staff shortages at Louisville’s airport at the time of the crash.

- Agence France-Presse