A crash of a UPS cargo plane in Louisville, Kentucky, caused a major fire and huge plumes of black smoke Tuesday afternoon. (Credit: Secretary Sean Duffy via X)
UPS has temporarily grounded its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11s, the type of aircraft involved in a deadly crash in Louisville, KYearlier this week.
The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety,” the company said in a statement late Friday.
“We have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,” UPS said. “MD-11s make up approximately 9% of the UPS Airlines fleet. The grounding is effective immediately.”
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UPS announced it has temporarily grounded its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11s. (Secretary Sean Duffy via X)
“We proactively made this decision based on the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve,” the statement continued.
The company added that “contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to provide the reliable service our customers around the world rely on.”
FedEx also said it is grounding its MD-11s.
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UPS said it took the step to ground the planes “out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety.” (Credit: X / @WT_Mason)
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to immediately ground our MD-11 fleet while we conduct a thorough inspection and safety assessment,” FedEx said in a statement. “We are immediately implementing contingency plans across our integrated air-ground network to minimize disruptions.”
At least 14 people were killed in the crash Tuesday, including the three crew members on board and at least 11 people on the ground.
The UPS flight was en route from Louisville to Honolulu when it crashed during takeoff around 5:15 p.m., hitting an industrial area near the airport and causing a fire.
At least fourteen people were killed in the crash on Tuesday, including the three crew members on board and at least eleven people on the ground. (Credit: X / @WT_Mason)
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“We are praying for each of the victims’ families, and praying that no additional victims are lost as our first responders continue to search and seek answers,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a video posted to X on Friday.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.
