Eight months after a UPS MD-11 cargo jet lost its left engine on takeoff at Louisville and crashed into an industrial neighborhood, killing 15 people, FedEx is methodically bringing its own MD-11 fleet back online — and expects the entire fleet reinstated before this year’s peak shipping season.
The November 4, 2025 crash of UPS Flight 2976 triggered an immediate industry-wide grounding. NTSB investigators determined that fatigue fracture of a bearing race in the aft pylon attachment point caused the left engine to separate from the wing during the takeoff roll. Critically, Boeing had documented four previous failures of the same part on three different aircraft back in 2011 — but determined at the time it would not result in a safety of flight condition. UPS responded by retiring its entire MD-11 fleet in January 2026. FedEx took a different path. Wikipedia + 2
The FAA lifted its grounding order in May after a fix was developed. FedEx began returning aircraft that month, starting with two jets. Four MD-11Fs are now back in service, with CEO Raj Subramaniam confirming the airline expects full fleet reinstatement before peak season. FedEx lists 29 MD-11Fs in its current fleet — down from 34 a year ago after five were permanently retired — and plans to keep the type flying until 2032.
The contrast between the two carriers’ responses is notable. UPS walked away from the MD-11 entirely after the accident. FedEx, working in coordination with Boeing, the FAA, and the NTSB, chose to develop a fix and return the aircraft to service. Both decisions are defensible — and both will be watched closely by aviation safety officials as the investigation continues.
Why It Matters: This isn’t a passenger aviation story, but it matters. The Louisville crash killed 15 people and grounded an entire aircraft type overnight. The return to service of that same aircraft type — on a different carrier, with a documented fix — is exactly the kind of aviation safety development worth tracking.
Source: Four FedEx MD-11Fs Back in Service as It Looks to Reinstate Fleet Before Peak
