UPS to retire entire fleet of MD-11 planes after deadly Louisville crash

Christopher Leach, Lexington Herald-Leader on Jan 27, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

UPS has retired its MD-11 fleet, the model of McDonnell Douglas airplane that was involved in a fatal crash in Louisville in November.

The announcement was shared in the company’s quarterly earnings report Tuesday. UPS said it has accelerated its fleet modernization plans, and as part of that, will retire the MD-11 during the quarter.

MD-11s make up about 9% of UPS Airlines’ fleet.

It’s the model of the Honolulu-bound plane that crashed shortly after takeoff Nov. 4 near Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville. The crash killed 15 people, including three crew members and 12 individuals on the ground.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators have not officially determined the cause of the crash, but have shared findings of broken parts with fatigue cracks and signs of overstress. One of the parts was highlighted by Boeing in 2011 after experiencing failures on three different airplanes.

Todd Inman, an NTSB member, previously said the left engine and pylon of the plane detached during takeoff, causing the aircraft to plummet and crash into multiple businesses near the airport. A “repeating bell” was heard on the plane’s cockpit recording only seconds before the crash.

Since the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all MD-11 and MD-11F aircraft until they undergo inspections and any necessary repairs. The FAA also grounded all MD-10 and DC-10 aircraft because the engine-pylon structure of those planes is similar in design to MD-11 aircraft, and the unsafe condition is “likely to exist or develop.”