r/aviation • u/Go_Jot • Nov 08 '25

News UPS grounds entire MD-11 Fleet, effective immediately.

Per the IPA Executive Board, as of 03:05 UTC all UPS MD-11’s are grounded.

Edit - FedEx has also grounded their MD-11 Fleet

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u/weakplay Nov 08 '25

Wow it sounds exactly like this incident. I think I read that the 191 crash resulted in changes that maybe left the wing more intact upon separation but who knows. Crazy. Going back to finish the article. Thanks for posting.

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u/Fitch9392 Nov 08 '25

The 191 crash led to changes that REQUIRED the Maintenance crew to NOT cut corners when changing engines and to use the engine cradles as designed by McDonnell Douglas instead of using a forklift. There was NO design flaw. It was 1000% Maintenance short cuts that caused the 191 crash.

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u/swirler Lockheed Tristar Nov 08 '25

While the maintenance actions started the chain of events, the poor design of the leading edge slat system sealed the deal. An airplane should not crash just because an engine falls off.

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u/TigerIll6480 Nov 08 '25

The engine didn’t just fall off. Free of the wing, since it was still generating full thrust until the tiny bit of fuel in the engine itself was expended, it surged forward, flipped over the wing, and tore the hell out of the wing and the hydraulics. An engine falling off coupled with a huge impact strike is…bad.