In a significant move for the aviation logistics sector, cargo giants UPS and FedEx have announced the temporary grounding of their McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft fleets. This decisive action follows a tragic and fatal crash at the UPS global aviation hub in Louisville, Kentucky, which resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals.
The Tragic Incident and Immediate Aftermath
The catastrophic event unfolded on Tuesday at the UPS Worldport facility in Louisville. The MD-11 cargo plane, bound for Honolulu, crashed during takeoff, killing all three pilots on board and 11 people on the ground. The company confirmed that MD-11s constitute approximately 9% of the UPS airline fleet and about 4% of the FedEx fleet, highlighting the operational scale of this decision.
Late on Friday, UPS released a statement clarifying their position. "We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer," the statement read, emphasizing that "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve." Echoing this sentiment, FedEx stated in an email that it would ground its aircraft to conduct "a thorough safety review based on the recommendation of the manufacturer." Both companies described the move as being made "out of an abundance of caution."
Investigation Unveils Critical Seconds Before Crash
Details emerging from the ongoing investigation paint a harrowing picture of the final moments of the flight. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman provided a detailed account earlier on Friday. He revealed that the aircraft, built in 1991, was nearly airborne when a bell sounded in the cockpit.
For the next 25 seconds, the bell continued to ring as the pilots struggled to control the aircraft. It had barely lifted off the runway, with its left wing on fire and missing an engine, before it plowed into the ground, erupting into a spectacular fireball. The cockpit voice recorder captured the bell, which sounded about 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust.
Inman noted that there are different types of alarms with varying meanings, and investigators have not yet determined the precise reason for the bell. However, they have confirmed that the left wing was burning and the engine on that side had detached. It will be months before a transcript of the cockpit recording is made public as part of the standard investigation process.
Expert Analysis and Fleet Impact
Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator, weighed in on the situation. He suggested the bell was likely signaling an engine fire. Crucially, he pointed out that the alarm occurred at a point in the takeoff where the pilots were likely past their decision speed to abort safely. "They were likely past their critical decision speed to remain on the runway and stop safely," Guzzetti told The Associated Press, adding that the investigation will need to thoroughly explore the options available to the crew.
Beyond UPS and FedEx, the aviation analytics firm Cirium identified Western Global Airlines as the only other U.S. cargo airline operating MD-11s. The airline possesses 16 such aircraft, but 12 are already in storage. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, had announced in 1998 that it would phase out MD-11 jetliner production, with final deliveries in 2000.
Flight records indicate that the crashed UPS MD-11 had undergone maintenance in San Antonio for over a month until mid-October, though the nature of that work remains unclear. Meanwhile, UPS Worldport operations, which employ over 20,000 people and handle 300 flights daily, resumed its critical Next Day Air operations on Wednesday night.
