UPS cites ‘abundance of caution’ and manufacturer’s recommendation after 14 died when wing caught fire and engine fell off
UPS cites ‘abundance of caution’ and manufacturer’s recommendation after 14 died when wing caught fire and engine fell off
The freight companies UPS and FedEx have grounded their fleets of MD-11 aircraft days after a cargo plane crash that killed 14 people in Kentucky.
The grounded MD-11s are the same type of plane involved in Tuesday’s crash at a UPS facility in Louisville. They were originally built by McDonnell Douglas until it was taken over by Boeing.
UPS on Friday said the fleet had been temporarily grounded “out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety”.
“The grounding is effective immediately. We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer,” the company said in a statement.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve.”
Meanwhile, FedEx said that it will be grounding the aircraft while the company conducts “a thorough safety review based on the recommendation of the manufacturer”.
UPS and FedEx said the MD-11s make up about 9% and 4% of their fleets, respectively.
