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UPS Grounds Entire MD-11 Fleet After Fatal Louisville Crash
UPS has grounded its entire MD-11 aircraft fleet after a fatal crash in Louisville, Kentucky, killed at least 13 people. The company said the suspension is temporary and part of enhanced safety measures. The NTSB reported that the UPS cargo jet crashed 37 seconds after takeoff when an alarm sounded in the cockpit. Boeing and FedEx have yet to comment on the incident.
UPS Grounds MD-11 Fleet Following Deadly Louisville Accident
November 8 | Diary Times International Desk
United Parcel Service (UPS.N) announced on Friday that it has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft following a fatal crash in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this week that killed at least 13 people.
In an emailed statement to Reuters, a UPS spokesperson said,
“Out of an abundance of caution and commitment to safety, we have decided to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet.”
The company said MD-11 aircraft make up about 9% of its total fleet, and the suspension took effect immediately.
The development was first reported by NBC News.
The crash occurred Tuesday night when a UPS cargo plane bound for Honolulu went down shortly after takeoff from Louisville International Airport. On Friday, U.S. safety investigators revealed that the three UPS pilots were attempting to regain control of the aircraft after an alarm sounded in the cockpit.
According to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman, UPS Flight 2976’s takeoff appeared normal until about 37 seconds after throttle-up, when the cockpit voice recorder captured the sound of a warning bell.
Boeing (BA.N) — which became the owner of the MD-11 program following its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas — and FedEx (FDX.N), another operator of MD-11 cargo aircraft, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
