UPS (and FedEx) Ground Dozens of MD-11 Aircraft After Tuesday's Crash in Kentucky

American multinational freight company UPS 'has grounded its fleet of MD-11 aircraft,' reports the Guardian, 'days after a cargo plane crash that killed at least 13 people in Kentucky. The grounded MD-11s are the same type of plane involved in Tuesday's crash in Louisville. They were originally built by McDonnell Douglas until it was taken over by Boeing.'

More details from NBC News:

UPS said the move to temporarily ground its MD-11 fleet was made 'out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety.' MD-11s make up 9% of the company's air fleet, it said. 'We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve,' UPS spokesman Jim Mayer said... FedEx said early Saturday that it was also grounding its MD-11s. The UPS rival has 28 such planes in operation, out of a fleet of around 700, FedEx said.

Video shows that the left engine of the plane caught fire during takeoff and immediately detached, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said Wednesday. The National Transportation Safety Board is the lead agency in the investigation.

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