FAA issues Emergency Airworthiness Directive following UPS crash in Louisville

The FAA has grounded all MD-11, MD-10 and DC-10 aircraft following the UPS crash in Louisville, Kentucky, that killed 14 people. The first airworthiness directive grounded MD-11 aircraft on Nov. 8 and was expanded to include the MD-10 and DC-10 on Nov. 15. All aircraft are required to be inspected and then repaired if needed. This step has already been taken by UPS and FedEx, who are the two largest MD-11 operators. The MD-10 and DC-10 are grounded due to having a similar engine-pylon structure to the MD-11. A UPS MD-11 crashed in Kentucky after the left-hand engine and pylon detached from the airplane during takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF). The cause of the detachment is currently unknown and there is concern that other MD-11s and similar aircraft could share a problem that could lead to a repeat accident. RELATED STORIES: UPS halts flights of MD-11 aircraft as investigation advances in crash that killed 14 NTSB shares early finds from the field, ADS-B andamp; data recorders in deadly UPS cargo plane crash The flight crew of UPS 2976 Only 8 more aircraft are grounded from the expansion. The companies 10 Tanker, Omega Air, Orbis Flying Eye Hospital and TAB Cargo are the only ones operating MD-10 and DC-10 aircraft, according to FlightRadar. Of those aircraft, 2 10 Tanker DC-10s are already undergoing heavy maintenance checks.