
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.
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.
Les 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
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
@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.
For whatever reason, I'm fascinated by air disasters, so I've been paying close attention to the report on #ups2976.
The video explains it very clearly. On a MD11, engines hang on the wing by (basically) 2 bolts. The back one gave way and the engine pivoted up and off.
What I don't understand is why the engines are only mounted with two points? That... uh... feels like not enough redundancy.
I'd love to know the engineering reason why 2 was enough.
The #NTSB preliminary report about the #UPS2976 accident 2 weeks ago was released today.
Here is blancolorio's video on it.
https://youtu.be/UpUkwzVUs5Y