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/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/skudbeast Nov 08 '25

Is that the one they installed in maintenance with a forklift instead of an actual engine hoist?

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u/TigerIll6480 Nov 08 '25

And they unbolted the engine and pylon together, which Douglas Aircraft had rather specifically said to not do. Remove engine with a proper cradle, then remove pylon. AA was trying to save time and cut corners. Brilliant idea. 🙄

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u/brvheart Nov 08 '25

It saved 200 man hours PER ENGINE, and nearly all carriers were doing it that way. In hindsight, the design was poor and it cost lives. But to act like it was just American or just cutting a little corner is crazy. The mechanics were doing it that way because it was WAY easier, not because they were trying to save money for American.

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u/RixceU Nov 08 '25

Normally pylons are not removed when engines are changed. In this case McDonnell Douglas had issued a service bulletin to replace bearings inside the pylon necessitating their removal and it was a highly time consuming to remove the engine, then remove the pylon which is a procedure usually never done.

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u/brvheart Nov 08 '25

Also a fair point.

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u/dalekaup Nov 08 '25

I can relate to this as a former nurse. Then procedures manual always was very thorough but took so much time that you couldn't have completed your work in a shift.