Overview
- Western Global told crews the MD-11 fleet faces an undetermined downtime and began indefinite furloughs effective Nov. 22, citing Boeing guidance that more invasive inspections and parts replacements are required.
- The FAA’s emergency order grounded all MD-11s nationwide on Nov. 8 and also covered remaining related DC-10/MD-10 variants because of shared engine‑pylon design elements.
- Investigators reported that UPS Flight 2976’s left engine and pylon separated during Louisville takeoff on Nov. 4, and preliminary lab work found fatigue cracks in components securing the engine to the wing; 14 people died.
- UPS and FedEx are consolidating flights, deferring some maintenance and contracting extra lift, with Cargojet flying 757-200s and Amerijet operating a 767 in UPS’s network through December.
- The grounding removes a significant share of widebody freighter lift during peak season, with about 26 MD-11s at UPS and roughly 28 at FedEx, and no timetable yet for returning aircraft to service.