The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency directive on Saturday to the owners and operators of Boeing’s McDonnell Douglas, or MD-11, and MD-11F cargo airplanes for inspection after a deadly crash in Kentucky.
At least 14 people were killed in Wednesday's crash in Louisville, Ky., after the “left-hand engine and pylon detached from the airplane during takeoff," as described by the directive, which also "prohibits further flight" until the aircrafts are inspected and any issues are corrected.
While the cause of the detachment is under investigation, the air traffic regulators issued the directive “because the agency has determined the unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.”
The measure is being considered as an interim action, according to the FAA. If a final action is later identified, the FAA might consider further rulemaking then.
UPS, meanwhile, had already announced it would ground its 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,” the company wrote in a statement.
“Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the reliable service our customers around the world count on,” UPS added.
FedEx confirmed with The Hill that it was also grounding its own MD-11 fleet while it conducts "a thorough safety review based on the recommendation of the manufacturer.”
Source: The Hill - News
