A UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane bound for Hawaii crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport last Tuesday.
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The plane burst into flames when it crashed into several commercial facilities near the airport, killing 14 people. MD-11 had three crew members on board.
UPS and FedEx said they acted on the aircraft manufacturer’s grounding recommendations. The MD-11 was originally produced by McDonnell Douglas, which 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 in a statement. He added: “The suspension takes effect immediately. We have proactively taken this decision in accordance with the recommendations of the aircraft manufacturer.”
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The company also said it has contingency plans in place “to continue to provide reliable service.”
Boeing recommended a review of the plane’s engineering.
“In the interest of safety, we are recommending that the three operators of the MD-11 freighter suspend operations while additional technical analysis is conducted,” Boeing said in a statement.
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Other than UPS and FedEx, Western Global Airlines is the only airline using MD-11. Almost 9% of UPS’s fleet consists of MD-11 aircraft, according to the company.
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“Please pray for these families, the Louisville community, and all those affected by this horrific event,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on social media.
The plane, loaded with 38,000 gallons of fuel for a long flight to Hawaii, nearly crashed into a Ford auto assembly plant that employs 3,000 people.
Aerial footage of the crash scene shows a trail of debris as firefighters struggle to extinguish the blaze.
Investigators reported that the cause of the accident was one of the engines catching fire and dislodging during takeoff.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Commissioner Todd Inman said investigators had identified the plane’s black box, a device that records flight data and a cockpit voice recorder. The equipment will be sent to Washington for analysis.
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This accident was the deadliest in UPS history. The company’s main distribution center, Worldport, is located in Louisville and employs several thousand people. The plane was built in 1991 and later modified to carry cargo, the NTSB said.
The incident occurred during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which lasted 40 days. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy this week warned of “chaos” due to a shortage of air traffic control personnel.
Inman said the NTSB was not aware of any employee issues at the Louisville airport at the time of the accident.
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