Tragedy in Louisville: UPS Cargo Plane Crash Claims Lives

In response to a fatal incident in Louisville, Kentucky, UPS and FedEx have decided to ground their fleet of over 50 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes. This precaution comes after a horrific crash that resulted in at least 14 fatalities.

The accident occurred on Tuesday when a UPS MD-11 crashed shortly after taking off from Muhammad Ali International Airport en route to Honolulu. Initially, three pilots were reported dead, but the death toll rose to 14, as confirmed by Mayor Craig Greenberg through a social media update on Friday.

MD-11 planes constitute roughly 9% of UPS’s fleet and around 4% of FedEx’s, based on company data.

UPS stated late Friday, “We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve.”

FedEx mentioned that it was “immediately implementing contingency plans” to minimize any disruptions in their delivery services.

According to Circum, an aviation analytics firm, Western Global Airlines is the only other American cargo airline still operating MD-11s, and they’ve put 12 of those planes into storage.

Boeing had announced back in 1998 plans to discontinue MD-11 jetliner production, with the last deliveries occurring in 2000.

The ill-fated UPS cargo plane, built in 1991, faced difficulties in maintaining control just after reaching 100 feet above the runway—its left wing was engulfed in flames—before it tragically crashed off the runway, impacting two nearby businesses.

On Friday, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Todd Inman, shared that a bell warning was detected in the cockpit via a voice recorder. The ringing lasted for 25 seconds as the plane barely lifted off, likely signaling the fire in the wing.

These recorders, often referred to as black boxes, are designed to endure crashes and extreme heat. They appeared to be intact among the wreckage, and investigations into the data they hold are ongoing.

UPS is known to be the primary air cargo service provider for the United States Postal Service.

The crash of this 34-year-old freighter at Louisville airport is currently under investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Previous incidents involving UPS cargo planes date back to 2013, when an Airbus crash during landing at Birmingham, Alabama, resulted in the deaths of both crew members on board.