Overview
- A UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville on November 4, killing 14 people after a engine reportedly detached following a fire.
- The aircraft struck multiple buildings, including an oil recycling facility, came to rest nearly five kilometers from the runway, and left several people injured with some still reported missing.
- The U.S. aviation regulator ordered all MD-11 cargo aircraft grounded, prompting immediate operational stand-downs across the type.
- UPS grounded its MD-11 fleet as a precaution, and FedEx, which operates 28 MD-11s, said it would do the same to conduct a detailed safety review.
- Boeing, which absorbed McDonnell Douglas in 1997, advised operators to stop using the MD-11, a freighter-only type with about 70 aircraft still active worldwide, as broader inquiries into the crash and oversight continue.