Phil Baker 
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Ian Kluft ✅✈️🎈🌋"FedEx resumes MD-11 cargo flights after FAA lifts grounding order" by @Reuters - With FAA approval of Boeing's fix for the MD-11 engine pylons, FedEx has returned 2 of its 28 planes to service and is working on the rest. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-approves-boeing-protocol-returning-md-11-planes-service-us-after-fatal-crash-2026-05-11/ #UPS2976 #MD11grounding #aviation #business #cargo #avgeek
SaltyThere’s five UPS MD-11s sitting here parked at SDF, engines wrapped. FedEx said they’re going to bring theirs back in service at some point but UPS has officially retired them.
These things are very old and thirsty and really should be scrapped. I flew to AMS as a passenger on KLM* but just the one time. They were not popular for passenger travel.
*Their MD-11 fleet were all named after women. Mine was the Audrey Hepburn!
"Boeing has a fix for the grounded MD-11, according to FedEx" by @TheSeattleTimes / Lauren Rosenblatt - FedEx says it expects to get its 28 MD-11 widebody cargo planes un-grounded soon with Boeing-approved fix, once FAA also approves. The fix is replacement of parts in engine pylon mounting points and then increased rate of inspection for wear and fatigue. The fix comes after UPS abandoned the MD-11. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeing-has-a-fix-for-the-grounded-md-11-according-to-fedex/ #UPS2976 #MD11grounding #aviation #business #cargo #avgeek
"UPS retires fleet of MD-11 aircraft involved in deadly Kentucky crash" by @AssociatedPress - Already planned to be phased out, UPS announced its 26 MD-11 planes will not return to service following an extended FAA-ordered grounding after the UPS 2976 crash of Nov 4. UPS has orders for 18 new 767Fs to replace them. The two cargo airlines with grounded MD-11s remaining are FedEx (28) and Western Global (15). https://apnews.com/article/ups-kentucky-louisville-crash-md11-boeing-9832be76e1a025ba2b89582778ee45db #UPS2976 #MD11grounding #aviation #business #cargo #avgeek
UPS retires its McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes after Louisville crash
UPS says it has retired its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes just months after one crashed in Louisville, killing 15 people. CEO Carol Tome said during a fourth-quarter earnings call Tuesday that the company decided to accelerate its plans while all MD-11s remain grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane’s three-person crew and 12 others on the ground were killed after the plane's left engine fell off. The company is rebuilding its fleet with 18 new Boeing 767s in the next 15 months. The company also announced plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs this year as it reduces its shipments for Amazon.
Ryan M“In UPS crash, NTSB probing MD-11 engine mount issue first identified by Boeing in 2011” https://theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatches/ups-boeing-md-11-ntsb-update-engine-mount/ #Aviation #UPS2976
"Fleet of UPS planes grounded after deadly crash expected to miss peak delivery season" by @AssociatedPress - MD-11s are no longer expected to return to service during the holiday cargo rush. FAA & Boeing have yet to issue findings or required inspections. So UPS is indefinitely grounding its MD-11s, 9% of its fleet. UPS contingency plans for the holidays have included hiring other cargo airlines for some loads. https://apnews.com/article/ups-md11-planes-crash-louisville-13dbb6ec286ddc966c6bd1c9f3b3627c #UPS2976 #MD11grounding #aviation #business #cargo #avgeek
UPS grounds fleet of MD-11 planes indefinitely after deadly crash
UPS Airlines has grounded its MD-11 planes indefinitely for inspections and possible repairs after a deadly crash earlier this month. An internal memo from UPS Airlines president Bill Moore on Wednesday stated that the fleet will be grounded as they work to meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. The process was expected to take weeks but may now take several months. An MD-11 plane crashed Nov. 4 in Louisville, Kentucky, killing 14 people. UPS intends to rely on contingency plans to deliver for customers throughout the peak season. Boeing took over as the manufacturer of MD-11s in 1997 and is working to help operators meet FAA requirements.
YouTube#ScottManley - Lost Engine Didn't Fall Down, But Flew Up Over Doomed UPS Aircraft #UPS2976 - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/O6kXOOgQDac
Lost Engine Didn't Fall Down, But Flew Up Over Doomed UPS Aircraft #UPS2976
Aerobuzz / JumpSeatLes enquêteurs américains viennent de diffuser les premiers détails précis de l'accident du MD-11 d'UPS à Louisville. C'est La fixation du pylône du réacteur avec l'aile de l'avion qui a cédé. #UPS2976 #Crash #MD11
#UPS
La rupture de la fixation entre le pylône du réacteur et l'aile à l'origine du crash du MD-11 d'UPS - Aerobuzz
Le NTSB vient de diffuser son rapport préliminaire relatif à l’accident du MD-11F d’UPS (vol UPS2976) à Louisville le 4 novembre 2025. Le système de fixation du pylône du réacteur gauche est en cours d’analyse et a commencé à livrer de précieuses informations sur le scénario de l’accident de l’avion-cargo. Le rapport préliminaire s’accompagne d’une
Bernd@Lydie Definitely a lot more fire. Yes, the initiating event is very similar, but the subsequent events were very different. What doomed AA191 was the slat asymmetry caused by hydraulic failures, coupled with the standard engine-out climb speed. At a higher speed, they might have been able to return for an emergency landing.
Metal airframes, if properly maintained, have an almost indefinite lifespan. The industry knows how to handle metal fatigue since the Comet. In this case it seems the speed at which fatigue cracks advanced was underestimated. Whether or not maintenance procedures had anything to do with it, remains to be seen.
With shorter inspection intervals the FAA may allow return to service eventually, but it will be weeks, if not months. So I will not be surprised if most or all operators will choose to permanently retire the type.