FAA mandates MD-11 inspections after deadly UPS crash

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) requiring inspections and necessary corrective actions on all MD-11F and MD-11 aircraft prior to further operation.

This follows the recent crash of UPS Flight 2976, an MD-11F operating a scheduled service from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, which killed at least 14 people. A large fire broke out in the left wing, and one of the engines separated during takeoff, causing the aircraft to crash into nearby buildings.

In its Emergency Airworthiness Directive, the FAA said the action was prompted by an accident in which the left-hand engine and pylon detached from an aircraft during takeoff. The cause remains under investigation. The agency warned that the condition could compromise safe flight and landing, adding that it is likely to exist or develop in other aircraft of the same type design.

The directive prohibits further flight until the aircraft has been inspected and all applicable corrective actions have been performed “using a method approved by the Manager, AIR-520, Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA.”

The FAA further stated that this directive is considered an interim action, and if final action is later identified, the agency may consider additional rulemaking.

UPS and FedEx, the largest operators of the MD-11F, announced that they are temporarily grounding their MD-11F fleets. Notably, according to data from Planespotters.net, UPS operates 27 MD-11Fs, while FedEx has 29 of the type in service.

“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet. MD-11s are approximately 9% of the UPS Airlines fleet. The grounding is effective immediately. 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. Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the reliable service our customers around the world count on,” UPS said in a statement.

Boeing, earlier in its statement, said that with safety as its top priority, it has advised the three MD-11 freighter operators to suspend flight operations pending further engineering analysis.

Apart from UPS and FedEx, the MD-11F remains in operation with Western Global Airlines, which currently has four aircraft active and 11 parked. While the aircraft type is no longer used for passenger service by any airline worldwide, the last passenger MD-11 was retired in 2014 by KLM, following its final flight from Amsterdam to Montreal.

During a media briefing, NTSB spokesperson Todd Inman said that just over 30 seconds after the crew initiated takeoff, an alarming sound was heard.

“About 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust, a repeating bell was heard on the CVR (cockpit voice recorder), which persisted until the end of the recording 25 seconds later. During this time, the crew engaged in efforts to attempt to control the aircraft before the crash.”

He further stated that the NTSB will form a CVR group comprising technical experts on the MD-11 at its headquarters to review the recording and produce a written transcript. He added that the bulk of the left engine pylon remained attached to the engine when the engine separated from the wing. Both components are currently secured in a facility and undergoing further examination.

Earlier, the NTSB released images of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder recovered from the wreckage of UPS Flight 2976.