NEED TO KNOW
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On Friday, Nov. 7, UPS and FedEx announced the decision to ground over 50 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes
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The announcement came as the death toll from the plane crash in Louisville rose to at least 14 people
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“With safety as our top priority, we recommended to the three operators of the MD-11 Freighter that they suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed,” Boeing said in a statement to PEOPLE
UPS and FedEx have grounded their fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes following the UPS plane crash in Kentucky.
At least 14 people have died following the mid-takeoff crash in Louisville on Tuesday, Nov. 4, according to the BBC. UPS confirmed in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that they have temporarily suspended operations of their MD-11 cargo planes due to the incident.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,” a spokesperson told PEOPLE. “MD-11s are approximately 9% of the UPS Airlines fleet.
“The grounding is effective immediately,” their statement continued. “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.
“Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the reliable service our customers around the world count on,” the spokesperson concluded.
Stephen Cohen/Getty
Fire and smoke rise from where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing confirmed in a statement shared with PEOPLE that an investigation into the crash is ongoing.
“With safety as our top priority, we recommended to the three operators of the MD-11 Freighter that they suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed,” Boeing said in their statement. “This recommendation was made in an abundance of caution and we will continue coordinating with the FAA on this matter.”
UPS has 27 MD-11 cargo planes, while FedEx operates 28 MD-11 cargo planes, per Reuters.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed at around 5:15 p.m. local time on Nov. 4, shortly after takeoff at Kentucky’s Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) previously confirmed to PEOPLE.
The aircraft was en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu when the crash happened.
The death toll in the crash has risen to 14, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced in an update on X on Friday, Nov. 7. “Another victim has been located at the crash site this evening. This brings the total number of known fatalities to 14,” Greenberg wrote.
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Michael Swensen/Getty
People walk near the UPS facility in Louisville on Nov. 5
National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman said in a press conference on Friday that 100 first responders remained at the scene of the crash and that around two hours of the cockpit voice recorder had been salvaged from the plane for review.
“In reviewing that audio, the crew completed their standard checklists and briefings in preparation for the flight. The takeoff roll was what we called uneventful through the different speed callouts,” said Inman.
“About 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust, a repeating bell was heard on the CVR, which persisted until the end of the recording 25 seconds later. During this time, the crew engaged in efforts to attempt to control the aircraft before the crash,” he shared.
As of Friday, nine people remain missing, who are believed to have been in the area at the time of the crash, ABC News and WAVE reported.
Read the original article on People
