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.
“Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the reliable service our customers around the world count on,” the UPS statement said.
Western Global Airlines is the only other US cargo airline that flies MD-11s, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium. The airline has 16 MD-11s in its fleet, but 12 of them have already been put in storage. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside of business hours early on Saturday.
Fourteen people have been confirmed as having died in the crash in Louisville, including pilots Capt Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond. Officials have said they fear the death toll will grow, with as many as nine people reportedly missing after the crash.
A federal investigator said the cargo plane’s left wing caught fire and an engine fell off shortly after it took off from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, causing the plane to crash and explode into a fireball.
“Our hearts go out to every UPSer who has been impacted and all in our Louisville community – supporting you and ensuring you receive the care and resources you need is our priority,” the company said in an earlier statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the maintenance history of the plane, which was in Texas for repairs in the weeks before the crash.
Reuters reported flight tracking data showing the plane was on the ground in San Antonio, Texas, from 3 September to 18 October. Flight records suggest the plane was undergoing maintenance at that time, though it was not clear what work was done.
The cockpit voice recorder and data recorder were recovered, and the engine was found on the airfield. The cockpit voice recorder captured a bell sounding in the cockpit, a federal investigator said.
The recorders – known as black boxes – were built to withstand crash impacts and intense heat from fires, and they appeared to be intact when located amid the crash debris. Investigators plan on reviewing data from the black boxes.
The UPS facility where Tuesday’s crash occurred is the company’s largest package-handling hub. The facility employs more than 20,000 people in the region, handles 300 flights daily and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.
UPS Worldport operations resumed on Wednesday night with its next day air, or night sort, operation, spokesperson Jim Mayer said.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting
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