Logistics giant UPS announced on Friday that it has grounded its entire fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes following the fatal crash of one of its aircraft earlier this week in Louisville, which killed at least 13 people.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,” a UPS spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.
The grounding, effective immediately, affects roughly 9% of the company’s aircraft, the spokesperson added.
The move follows Tuesday night’s crash of UPS Flight 2976, a cargo plane bound for Honolulu, which went down shortly after takeoff from Louisville International Airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Friday that investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder, which captured a repeating warning bell and the crew’s frantic efforts to regain control of the aircraft moments before impact.
“Just 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust, a warning bell can be heard repeatedly as the pilots attempted to stabilize the aircraft,” said NTSB board member Todd Inman during a press briefing.
He confirmed that three UPS pilots were on board and that the investigation is focused on possible mechanical or systems failures.
The crash, one of the deadliest in UPS history, caused significant damage near the airport and prompted a temporary suspension of operations at Louisville’s main cargo hub before limited service resumed on Wednesday.
Boeing (BA.N), which took over the MD-11 program after merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, and FedEx (FDX.N), another major operator of MD-11 freighters, did not immediately comment on the UPS grounding or potential implications for their own fleets.
The NTSB, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, continues to examine the wreckage and flight data. Preliminary findings are expected within the next two weeks.
The MD-11, a widebody trijet introduced in the 1990s, has been widely used in cargo operations but has faced past scrutiny for its handling characteristics and hard-landing incidents.
UPS said it will continue operating other aircraft types to minimize service disruptions while awaiting further guidance from investigators.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
