Emergency Ban for MD-11 Fleet Following Fatal US Crash
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States has taken the drastic step of issuing an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, effectively banning all flights of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft until urgent inspections are carried out. This decisive action comes in the wake of a catastrophic cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, which claimed the lives of 14 people.
Details of the Louisville Disaster
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday evening last week, involving a UPS MD-11 freighter that was bound for Honolulu. The aircraft, which was laden with fuel, crashed shortly after take-off. Among the 14 fatalities were three pilots. Preliminary investigations by the FAA indicate a critical failure, with the authority stating the emergency directive was prompted by "an accident where the left-hand engine and pylon detached from the airplane".
A spokesperson for the FAA emphasised the severity of the situation, confirming that "the cause of the detachment is currently under investigation". They further warned that this fault represents an unsafe condition that could lead to a loss of safe flight and landing, and is likely to exist in other MD-11s.
Industry Response and Aircraft History
Major delivery firms UPS and FedEx had proactively grounded their respective MD-11 fleets on Friday, prior to the official FAA order, stating the move was made "out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety". The FAA's directive, which followed a recommendation from the manufacturer Boeing, now makes these inspections mandatory. The directive prohibits any further flight of an MD-11 until it has been inspected and all necessary corrective actions have been completed.
The MD-11 was first manufactured by McDonnell Douglas in 1988, with production continuing after its merger with Boeing in 1997. While it was once a common sight as a passenger jet for airlines like Finnair and KLM, the model was fully retired from commercial passenger service in 2014 and is now used exclusively as a freight aircraft.
Wider Travel Disruption in the US
Separate from the Kentucky crash, air travel in the US faced further chaos on Saturday. More than 1,300 commercial flights were cancelled due to an FAA order to reduce air traffic. This order was unrelated to the crash but was a direct consequence of the ongoing US government shutdown, which has resulted in critical shortages of unpaid air traffic control staff. Officials have warned that the number of daily cancellations could rise unless the political deadlock in Washington is resolved swiftly.
