UPS has fully retired its McDonnell Douglas MD-11F freighter fleet, bringing an end to decades of trijet cargo operations after a fatal crash in 2025. In its fourth-quarter earnings report, UPS confirmed the retirement of all 26 MD-11Fs it still owned.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report on November 20, 2025, providing the clearest picture yet of what may have caused the crash of UPS Flight 2976. The investigation reveals that the left engine and pylon were torn from the wing during the takeoff rotation, vaulting up and over the fuselage as the trijet lifted off.
The National Transportation Safety Board has released an updated investigative report into the crash of UPS Airlines Flight 2976, revealing that engine and pylon separation occurred shortly after takeoff. The NTSB found fatigue cracking in components associated with the left engine pylon attachment, which led to structural failure.
FedEx plans to resume MD-11 operations by late May 2026, working with Boeing and the FAA to address required inspection and maintenance actions. This comes after UPS retired its entire MD-11 fleet following a fatal crash in November 2025.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency airworthiness directive grounding all McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and MD-11F aircraft pending structural inspections following the fatal UPS crash in Louisville. The order, issued as Emergency Airworthability Directive 2025-23-51, comes after UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, killing 14 people.