The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all MD-11 cargo planes in the United States

       On November 8, 2025 local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive AD 2025-23-51, suspending all MD-11 cargo aircraft flights until safety checks are completed.

       The issuance of this directive originated from the accident on November 4th at around 17:15 when a UPS MD-11 cargo plane crashed and caught fire shortly after takeoff from Louisville International Airport in Kentucky, USA. The accident resulted in at least 14 deaths, including 3 people on board and 11 people on the ground. The aircraft involved was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas in 1991 and has a service life of 34 years. It is a passenger to cargo aircraft. The US Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the accident, and investigators found the two "black boxes" of the crashed cargo plane on the 5th. A preliminary investigation report is expected to be released within 30 days.

       The FAA stated that this directive was issued because it has been confirmed that other aircraft of the same design may have or may gradually experience this unsafe condition, which may result in the inability to ensure the aircraft's ability to continue safe flight and landing. Boeing also recommended a global grounding of the aircraft model, and UPS and FedEx have grounded their 27 and 28 MD-11 cargo planes, respectively, at Boeing's suggestion. In addition, Western Global Airlines is expected to comply with the FAA's directive.