UPS grounds planes indefinitely after deadly crash

Friday, November 28, 2025 -After a fatal crash of one of its cargo jets near Louisville, Kentucky on November 4, UPS has announced it is grounding its entire fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD‑11 cargo planes indefinitely. The crash, which involved engine separation shortly after takeoff, killed 14 people — three crew members on board and 11 on the ground.

In an internal memo, UPS indicated that inspections and potential repairs on the grounded MD‑11 fleet will take several months, extending through the peak holiday delivery season. The airline said the process will be “more extensive than initially expected.”

UPS has said it will rely on contingency plans to maintain delivery services amid the grounding. Meanwhile, the grounding — prompted by a safety directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — underscores serious safety concerns over the MD‑11 model, which makes up a portion of UPS’s cargo‑plane fleet.