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UPS, FedEx grounding MD-11 planes after KY crash
UPS and FedEx said they are grounding their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes "out of an abundance of caution" following a deadly crash at the UPS global aviation hub in Kentucky.
UPS and FedEx announced late Friday that they were grounding their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes following the deadly crash in Kentucky this week.
Here’s what to know about the planes:
MD-11 planes grounded
FILE - A UPS MD-11 cargo plane sits idle on the tarmac on November 5, 2025 at Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky. The same type of plane crashed near the UPS facility at the airport shortly after take-off on November 4, killin …
What they're saying:
The carriers announced their decisions separately but said it was "out of an abundance of caution."
"We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer," a UPS statement said late Friday. "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve."
FedEx said in an email that it will be grounding the aircrafts while it conducts "a thorough safety review based on the recommendation of the manufacturer.
Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said in a statement on its website that it "recommended to the three operators of the MD-11 Freighter that they suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed."
By the numbers:
The MD-11 aircraft make up about 9% of the UPS airline fleet and 4% of the FedEx fleet.
Boeing announced in 1998 that it would be phasing out its MD-11 jetliner production, with final deliveries due in 2000.
The plane that crashed was made in 1991.
RELATED: UPS plane crash: Identities of victims aboard aircraft revealed
UPS Louisville, Kentucky crash
The backstory:
The crash occurred Tuesday at UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky, killing 14 people, including the three pilots on the MD-11 that was headed for Honolulu and a child.
The crash had a devastating ripple effect, striking and causing smaller explosions at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and hitting an auto salvage yard, Grade A Auto Parts. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the child who died was with a parent at the parts business.
Dig deeper:
Flight records suggest the UPS MD-11 that crashed underwent maintenance while it was on the ground in San Antonio for more than a month until mid-October. It is not clear what work was done.
RELATED: New video shows extent of damage from UPS plane crash
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CCTV footage shows UPS plane crashing Into Louisville businesses
CCTV footage captured the moment a UPS cargo plane crashed into several businesses in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday, November 4. (Credit: Kentucky Truck Parts & Service via Storyful)
Video perspective:
Dramatic video captured the aircraft crashing into businesses and erupting in a fireball. Footage from phones, cars and security cameras has given investigators evidence of what happened from many different angles.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from statements given by UPS, FedEx and Boeing, as obtained and reported by The Associated Press. Background information was taken from previous FOX Television Station reportings and from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.