The tragic crash in Louisville on 4 November 2025, which claimed at least twelve lives, could mark the beginning of the end for the cargo version of the MD-11F, the model involved in the disaster. While investigators continue to probe the causes of the accident, Boeing – which took over the MD-11 programme through its merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997 – has advised airlines to suspend all MD-11F operations.
In a statement, the manufacturer said: “The Boeing Safety Review Board has assessed all available data and determined that further engineering analysis is required. We have recommended a temporary fleet-wide suspension to allow this analysis and any necessary corrective actions to be completed.”
FedEx Express, which operates 28 MD-11Fs out of a fleet of around 700 aircraft (roughly 4% of its total), immediately adopted the recommendation. A company spokesperson said: “Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to immediately ground our MD-11 fleet while conducting a comprehensive safety review based on the manufacturer’s recommendation. We are implementing contingency plans across our integrated air–ground network to minimise disruptions.”
UPS, whose MD-11s make up around 9% of its fleet (27 aircraft prior to the crash), also confirmed the grounding, stating that the move was taken “proactively, on the manufacturer’s recommendation.” The company emphasised: “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 continue providing the reliable service our global customers depend on.”
The third US operator still flying MD-11Fs is Western Global Airlines, which has sixteen in its fleet. Twelve have already been grounded, while four were still in operation at the time of Boeing’s recommendation. The MD-11F forms the backbone of Western Global’s operations, alongside four Boeing 747-400Fs. The airline did not immediately issue an official response, despite multiple media requests following Boeing’s announcement. According to FlightRadar24 data, at the time of the recommendation, Western Global had only one MD-11F still airborne.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the Louisville crash continues. UPS Flight 2976, bound for Honolulu from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, reportedly suffered a failure in its left engine during take-off. Preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggest that the engine detached from the wing structure as the aircraft accelerated down the runway. Airport security footage is said to have captured the engine’s separation, followed by flames engulfing the left wing.
According to NTSB member Todd Inman, around 25 seconds after take-off power was applied, an alarm began sounding in the cockpit, continuing for 25 seconds as the crew struggled to regain control. The MD-11F, loaded with roughly 144,000 litres of fuel for the long flight to Hawaii, briefly became airborne before crashing into commercial buildings beyond the runway, triggering a violent explosion.
The aircraft involved, registration N259UP, was 34 years old. Originally delivered to Thai Airways in July 1991 as a passenger aircraft, it was converted to cargo and acquired by UPS in 2006. At the time of the accident, it had logged 58,584 flight hours and 10,597 cycles.
Flight data shows the plane had been grounded in San Antonio, Texas, from 3 September to 19 October 2025, suggesting it may have undergone maintenance during that period. FAA records confirm structural maintenance took place in September 2025. On 4 September, technicians discovered a crack in the upper stringer of the centre-wing fuel tank, requiring a permanent repair. Five days later, corrosion was found on a fuselage spar in the central cargo bay, which was subsequently treated and cleared by quality control. The aircraft completed 28 cycles between that maintenance and the fatal crash.
The NTSB has deployed 28 investigators to Louisville for on-site work expected to last about a week. Their focus includes maintenance history, particularly the San Antonio work, and the possible separation of the GE CF6-80C2 engine from the wing. Investigators have also recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, now sent to the NTSB laboratory in Washington. Though heat-damaged, they are expected to yield usable data. The inquiry will also examine the 25-second alarm sequence in the cockpit to determine which system triggered it and how it correlated with the engine separation and subsequent fire. Investigators believe it may have been the engine fire alarm, sounding at a point where the crew had already passed the critical decision speed for an aborted take-off.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 made its maiden flight on 10 January 1990 from Long Beach, California. Developed as a successor to the DC-10, the programme was launched in December 1986 with 52 firm orders and 40 options from ten airlines. The first delivery went to Finnair on 7 December 1990, with its first commercial flight from Helsinki to Tenerife South later that month.
Designed to compete with the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330/A340, the MD-11’s development faced financial constraints that led to design compromises. The aircraft featured a stretched fuselage, a two-person glass cockpit (eliminating the flight engineer), quieter and more efficient engines, and winglets.
Production ended in 2000, after Boeing’s merger with McDonnell Douglas, with the final aircraft delivered on 22 February 2001. The MD-11 was produced in four variants: passenger, freighter (MD-11F), convertible freighter (MD-11CF) and combi (MD-11C).
Passenger service ended officially on 26 October 2014, when KLM operated its final flight from Montreal to Amsterdam with aircraft PH-KCE. The early retirement was driven by high fuel and maintenance costs, difficulty sourcing parts, and the rise of more efficient twin-engine aircraft certified under ETOPS standards.
Aviation experts have long described the MD-11 as outdated even at launch. Mary Schiavo, former Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation, once called it “big and heavy”. The aircraft also had a reputation among pilots for being challenging to handle, especially during landing, due in part to its smaller horizontal stabiliser, designed to improve fuel efficiency but making control more difficult.
Despite its issues in passenger service, the MD-11F became a cargo success. Freight operators valued its payload capacity, range, and low acquisition cost, particularly for converted models. With a maximum payload of around 90 tonnes and a range exceeding 6,000 nautical miles, it was well suited to long-haul, high-volume routes.
As passenger airlines retired their MD-11s, cargo carriers purchased many at discounted prices. With many units fully depreciated, they remained economically viable despite higher operating costs compared with modern alternatives.
FedEx Express is currently the world’s largest MD-11F operator, with 58 aircraft according to ch-aviation data, though only 25–28 remain active. The average age of FedEx’s MD-11 fleet is around 31 years. The carrier had planned to retire the type by 2028, but in March 2025 announced an extension to 2032. Even so, FedEx has continued to phase out older MD-11Fs. In June 2025, it permanently retired twelve aircraft, including three MD-11Fs, as part of a network streamlining effort. The first-ever MD-11F built, N601FE, was retired by FedEx in 2023 and sent to Victorville’s Southern California Logistics Airport for storage and possible dismantling.
UPS Airlines operates 26 MD-11Fs (excluding the aircraft lost on 4 November 2025), with an average age of around 30 years. It began retiring the type in 2023 as part of a modernisation plan, replacing them with new Boeing 767-300Fs.
In Europe, Lufthansa Cargo was the last major MD-11F operator. The German carrier operated 19 MD-11s between June 1998 and October 2021. In November 2019, it ordered two more 777Fs and brought forward its MD-11F phase-out from late 2024 to mid-2020, though the Covid-19 pandemic delayed final retirement until October 2021.
