UPS Airlines has grounded a fleet of aircraft indefinitely for continued inspections and possible repairs after one of its cargo planes crashed in Kentucky and exploded in a massive, deadly fireball.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleet will be kept off the runway through the busy holiday season as officials work to meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines in the wake of the Nov. 4 tragedy, which killed 14 people, airline president Bill Moore told employees in an internal memo Wednesday.
“Regarding the MD-11 fleet, Boeing’s ongoing evaluation shows that inspections and potential repairs will be more extensive than initially expected,” Moore explained in his letter.
The process is expected to take several months as UPS works to “ensure that every aircraft is safe,” a company spokesperson said, noting that contingency plans will be used to maintain deliveries operations.
The fleet was initially grounded after an MD-11 jet erupted in a massive explosion, carving a trail of fire and wreckage shortly after taking off from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, killing 14 people — all three crew members and 11 on the ground.
The UPS jet could be seen breaking apart on the runway, with its left engine tearing off during takeoff and slamming into the fuselage, according to photos released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The doomed plane never got more than 30 feet above the ground before it crashed into a UPS warehouse and petroleum recycling facility just south of the Louisville airport, according to the report.
The plane was built in 1991 and had been recently serviced, officials said.
The NTSB is still investigating the deadly crash.
With Post wires
