UPS halts MD-11 flights after fiery Kentucky crash exposes risks of outdated aircraft

UPS said it has ‘temporarily grounded’ its MD-11 fleet following the fiery crash of a 34-year-old plane in Kentucky that killed 14 people.

The decades-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane, with three crewmembers on board, exploded shortly after taking off from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville on Tuesday evening.

Crews combing half a mile of charred wreckage on Friday found a 14th victim at the crash site, ABC News reported. The latest victims named included a grandfather and his three-year-old granddaughter.

UPS announced Friday that its MD-11 fleet, which makes up about nine percent of its aircraft, would be grounded immediately.

‘Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,’ UPS said in a statement.

‘We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer,’ the statement added.

‘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.’

While Flight 2976’s deadly crash remains under investigation, aviation experts have shared unsettling details about the MD-11 jet.

UPS said it has ‘temporarily grounded’ its MD-11 fleet following the fiery crash of a 34-year-old plane in Kentucky that killed 13 people (pictured)

The decades-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane, with three crewmembers on board, exploded shortly after taking off from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville on Tuesday evening (pictured)

‘Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,’ UPS said in a statement (fleet pictured)

‘The model was antiquated by the time it came out – except, of course, for cargo. It’s a workhorse,’ Mary Schiavo, a former US Department of Transportation Inspector General, told USA Today.

The MD-11 has the second-worst safety record of all commercial planes still in operation, according to Boeing data published in April.

The model was launched in 1990 as a passenger jet, but due to its poor fuel efficiency and high maintenance costs, it was retired from commercial flights in 2014 and has since been used only as a cargo plane.

‘It had kind of a reputation of being a hard airplane to land,’ Ross Aimer, the CEO of Aero Consulting Experts and a longtime United Airlines pilot, told the outlet.

The specific MD-11 that crashed on Tuesday was manufactured in 1991 by McDonnell Douglas, now owned by Boeing. UPS purchased it in 2006.

‘The age may play a role, but as long as any airplane is well-maintained, it can last forever,’ Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB investigator and air-safety consultant, told The Wall Street Journal.

Records reviewed by the WSJ indicated that the plane that took the fatal flight was grounded in San Antonio, Texas, from September 3 to October 18 because it needed a permanent repair to fix a crack in its fuel tank.

Echoing Guzzetti’s sentiment, aviation consultant Mike Boyd told CNN: ‘At UPS, I would not be concerned about airplane age.

UPS announced Friday that its MD-11 fleet, which makes up about nine percent of its aircraft, would be grounded immediately

The jet’s engine was ripped off from its body during the crash (pictured)

Louisnes Fedon and his three-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, have been identified as two of the victims (pictured), according to a family friend

‘The main issue for operators is increasing maintenance costs, which US carriers don’t take lightly, and fuel burn.’

As of early this year, there are more than 80 active MD-11 planes operating for FedEx Express, UPS Airlines and Western Global Airlines.

Both FedEx, which has the largest fleet, and UPS have announced plans to gradually swap out the model for newer planes.

According to the NTSB, several other MD-11 planes were involved in deadly accidents.

Louisnes Fedon and his three-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, have been identified as two of the victims, according to a family friend who spoke with ABC13.

Another victim was also identified as Matt Sweets who survived the initial explosion but later succumbed to his injuries after 95 per cent of his body was burned.

Matt Sweets, pictured here, survived the initial explosion but later succumbed to his injuries after 95 per cent of his body was burned

Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the ruins (pictured)

According to the NTSB, several other MD-11 planes (pictured) were involved in deadly accidents

The aircraft’s three crew members are also believed to be among the dead, according to officials.

UPS identified the pilots on board the flight as Capt. Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Capt. Dana Diamond.

They were all killed upon impact when the flight erupted into a fireball as it crashed through industrial buildings.

Others remain missing, including mother-of-two Angela ‘Angie’ Anderson, 45, of Louisville, who may have perished in the fire.

Earlier on Thursday, officials reported that nine people were still missing as crews searched through half a mile of charred, mangled debris for additional crash victims.