UPS and FedEx MD-11 cargo planes grounded following the deadly Kentucky crash.
By Jersey Joe | Host of Reaver of Common Sense on SHR Media.
In today’s episode, we delve into the events surrounding the UPS FedEx MD-11 crash and its impact.
UPS and FedEx announced Friday that they are grounding their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes “out of an abundance of caution” following the devastating crash at the UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this week.
The accident, which killed 14 people including three UPS pilots, occurred as the MD-11 freighter bound for Honolulu attempted takeoff. The plane’s left wing was on fire and missing an engine before crashing into nearby businesses in a massive fireball.
UPS said the move comes at the recommendation of Boeing which acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997 as engineers conduct additional safety analysis on the aging model.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve,” UPS said in a statement.
FedEx confirmed in an email that its MD-11 aircraft will also be grounded pending a thorough review. Boeing stated on its website that it advised all three U.S. operators of the MD-11 Freighter to suspend flights until further analysis is completed.
Western Global Airlines, the only other U.S. cargo carrier still operating MD-11s, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Of its 16 aircraft, 12 were already in storage.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the doomed UPS plane was built in 1991 and had recently undergone maintenance in San Antonio. Investigators reported that a cockpit alarm began ringing roughly 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust a bell that continued for 25 seconds as the crew tried to keep the plane airborne.
Former federal crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti said the alarm was likely an engine fire warning.
“They were likely past their critical decision speed to remain on the runway and stop safely,” Guzzetti explained. “They’ll need to thoroughly investigate the options the crew may or may not have had.”
The NTSB said it will take months before the cockpit voice recorder transcript and detailed findings are made public.
UPS’s Louisville Worldport facility employing over 20,000 people and sorting more than 400,000 packages per hour has since resumed normal night operations.
Source
Original reporting from the Associated Press.
Editorial Closure
Tragedy in aviation is never just mechanical — it’s deeply human. The decision by UPS and FedEx to ground their MD-11 fleets underscores the immense responsibility borne by those who move the world’s commerce through the skies. Safety cannot be an afterthought when thousands of lives depend on it daily. Transparency, accountability, and engineering diligence must now guide every step of this investigation.
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By Jersey Joe | Host of Reaver of Common Sense on SHR Media
(All information verified through public records, campaign announcements, and reporting from the actual outlets, public records, or documents cited in the article.)
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