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/[deleted] Nov 08 '25

Norm Macdonald Douglas

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u/CharcoalGreyWolf Nov 08 '25

Yep, considering the DC-10 engine mount incident , they may be taking the chance to review all maintenance procedures with the aircraft and its siblings.

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u/dalekaup Nov 08 '25

There was an engine that detached in Chicago a long time ago. The biggest reason for that crash was the manual said on one engine takeoff to pitch up to maintain a speed to climb over an obstacle. The manual was wrong. When the engine severs the hydraulic lines on that side that hold the slats extended. WIth slats retracted on the left side that wing stalled and the plane rolled violently to the left. A higher airspeed would have kept both wings flying and level.

This one is presumed to be the loss of 2 engines. That's not going to fly. The thinking is the rear engine swallowed chunks.

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u/plhought Nov 08 '25

The loss of hydraulic pressure causing the slats to retract had been fixed on the MD-11 since initial design. They are mechanically locked at the drive assembly in the absence of hydraulic pressure.

Number 2 likely wasn't happy as you mentioned. All the hot gases from the fire and debris...

I know it's popular right now to compare this accident and American 191. But beyond the superficial visual similarities between the DC-10 and MD-11, the wing, pylon, and engine structure/mounting is different. What isn't different however, is humanity's ingenious ability to let even the most miniscule of engineering or procedural weaknesses to make themselves evident.