Particle.news
Download on the App Store

UPS Grounds MD-11 Fleet Indefinitely as Inspections Stretch Into Months

Returns hinge on FAA approval of Boeing's inspection procedures.

Overview

  • An internal memo from UPS Airlines president Bill Moore says inspections and potential repairs will take several months, extending an earlier weeks-long estimate.
  • The FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive on November 7 that keeps MD-11s out of service until approved checks and fixes are completed.
  • Boeing is developing the required inspection and repair instructions for operators, subject to FAA approval, and is providing technical support.
  • Security footage and preliminary NTSB materials indicate a fire near the left engine and a subsequent engine separation in the November 4 Louisville crash that killed 14 people.
  • UPS says contingency plans will keep deliveries moving through peak season, while the aging MD-11s account for about 9% of its fleet and 109 remain in service worldwide.