UPS MD-11 Crashes on Takeoff

[edyvw]

I can’t handle most of the YT aviation channel/podcast “ experts” - except Juan Browne.

They remind me of the media, in a big rush to offer their analysis just to get more clicks than their competition.

Heard an ex fighter pilot on his channel say Airbus are more prone to wrinkled fuselages after either landing on the nose wheel first ( porpoise ) , or bouncing off the mains and then the nose wheel being pushed down impacting the runway.

Saw a video the other day where an Airbus A321 bounced and the nose wheel impacted the runway as a result and I didn’t see the fuselage wrinkled, but I saw a nose wheel tire rolling down the runway.

A guest on his show had to assure him Airbus are not prone to fuselage wrinkles anymore than Boeing are.

What type of plane is more prone to the fuselage getting wrinkles?

ANY type where a pilot rams the nose wheel into the runway.

Hard to believe how easy some make money on the internet today.

Like I said about LSJR, once you get into business of making YT videos, path from credibility to just being another influencer, is really fast.
Juan managed to jeep it objective. But I believe that is because his motives behind doing it are to provide information and not go after clicks.

 

[Joe1]

It appears that UPS has officially retired their MD11fleet. Not surprised based on what l read previously in this thread.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ups-won-t-resurrect-md-155841953.html

 

[john_pifer]

Some decision makers at FedEx have to be feeling a lot of pressure to abandon last month’s plan to have their MD-11 fleet flying again by the end of May after UPS’s decision to accelerate retirement:

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fedex-anticipates-md-11-aircraft-return-in-spring-period

I would think Boeing would significantly raise all costs & fees related to MD-11 support now that they’d be supporting significantly fewer MD-11’s.

Can anyone see a scenario where FedEx would buy UPS’s MD-11’s and comply with the Boeing service letter/campaign to update all of the pylon spherical bearings to extend the life of these?

I mean, even FedEx had already said they were going to retire the type. They just didn’t give a date range, as UPS had.

It’s even harder to see FDX getting these flying again now.

 

[Vexorg]

Reuters is reporting that FedEx will have their MD11's back in service by May 31. UPS has retired their fleet and has some 767's coming as replacements.
How does airplane insurance work? Could you even get liability (or any for that matter) insurance on the MD11 for a reasonable price anymore?

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/worl...&cvid=697a3df5fbc64f1ba68a28aa4c785329&ei=104

 

[john_pifer]

This is unconfirmed, but I’ve heard that FedEx complied with the Boeing service newsletter recommendation to update the pylon spherical bearings (the one that failed, leading to the UPS crash), but UPS did not.

So that could be the missing piece here if confirmed.

If that’s the case, FedEx might just have to do the inspections to get them flying again.

 

[john_pifer]

https://cargofacts.com/allposts/freighter-aircraft/fedex-will-resume-md-11-operations-in-may/

 

[xspeedy]

Good NTSB explainer and video:

 

[GON]

Yesterday at SEA saw a FedEx MD11 that looked like in was in service/operating.

 

[Expendable]

Yesterday at SEA saw a FedEx MD11 that looked like in was in service/operating.

2 are back in service and have been operating for a little over a week now.

 

[fdcg27]

I would imagine that the chances of UPS being willing to sell its MD-11 fleet to Fedex are pretty slim.
Fedex might be able to bring some to their operating standard and could use the rest for parts.
If nothing else, the engines are by far the most valuable pieces on the aircraft and most of the Fedex fleet uses the same CF-6 engines used on those of UPS.
UPS has quite a few 767s that use this engine as well as its 747-400s, so these will probably end up staying with UPS.

 

[Expendable]

The engines on the MD11 are CF6-80C2D1F's and they are configured different between the wing and the tail, UPS may also have some with PW4462's.
I think all of their 767's have CF6-80C2B6F's and the 747 is another variant, there is probably a way to convert them but I don't know how expensive it would be.

 

[fdcg27]

The engines on the MD11 are CF6-80C2D1F's and they are configured different between the wing and the tail, UPS may also have some with PW4462's.
I think all of their 767's have CF6-80C2B6F's and the 747 is another variant, there is probably a way to convert them but I don't know how expensive it would be.

I would bet that between CF-6 802 engines it's no more than a software change with a few hundred thousand dollars thrown to GE. Probably no mechanical differences.
Even if some parts changes were required, that would still be chump change as compared to the cost of an engine.

 

[Expendable]

I can guarantee you it is more than a software change, we have converted from an A5F (Airbus) to a D1F (Douglas) and there are many parts that need to be changed out and it takes a crew a few shifts to accomplish.

 

[y_p_w]

It’s a week old, but nobody mentioned new footage released by the NTSB.



The engine broke off, then launched upwards before it exploded and sent debris into the rear engine. The way I heard it explained, they had no chance to attain enough thrust once they were down to one engine on takeoff.

And there’s reports that NTSB took down a video that included a spectral analysis of the actual audio while the transcript was displayed. Some apparently used that to generate audio from the waves.

 

[billt460]

This is a very good video on the MD-11. It talks about how difficult the airplane was to land. This was caused by many of the design changes / "improvements" they built into the MD-11 from the DC-10.

The aircraft never really panned out the way McDonnell Douglas, (or the carriers who bought it), wanted it to. There were a lot of things in play that made this aircraft so unsuccessful besides the engine pylon problems.

 

[GON]

Following FEDEX, Western Global returned a MD 11 to service earlier this month:

Western Global Airlines flew its first revenue MD-11 flight since the type's grounding on Wednesday, May 21, 2026, becoming the second carrier in the world to return the MD-11 to service after FedEx.

According to Air Cargo News, the aircraft, registered N781SN, operated a flight from Fort Myers, Florida to Columbus, Ohio. The flight lasted just over two hours, per FlightRadar24 data. The Florida-based cargo carrier's other MD-11Fs are expected to follow gradually as each aircraft completes the FAA-mandated inspection and bearing replacement program.
Reported- FedEx and Western Global are now the only two airlines in the world flying the MD-11.

Image credit: facebook/aviationcircle

 

[Owen Lucas]

Following FEDEX, Western Global returned a MD 11 to service earlier this month:

Western Global Airlines flew its first revenue MD-11 flight since the type's grounding on Wednesday, May 21, 2026, becoming the second carrier in the world to return the MD-11 to service after FedEx.

According to Air Cargo News, the aircraft, registered N781SN, operated a flight from Fort Myers, Florida to Columbus, Ohio. The flight lasted just over two hours, per FlightRadar24 data. The Florida-based cargo carrier's other MD-11Fs are expected to follow gradually as each aircraft completes the FAA-mandated inspection and bearing replacement program.
Reported- FedEx and Western Global are now the only two airlines in the world flying the MD-11.


View attachment 339522
Image credit: facebook/aviationcircle

I guess all that really has to be done is replace the pylons and inspect them more often?

It seems the plane is fine otherwise, other than the stigma.

 

[IndyFan]

This is a very good video on the MD-11. It talks about how difficult the airplane was to land. This was caused by many of the design changes / "improvements" they built into the MD-11 from the DC-10.

The aircraft never really panned out the way McDonnell Douglas, (or the carriers who bought it), wanted it to. There were a lot of things in play that made this aircraft so unsuccessful besides the engine pylon problems.

Interesting, but I've not heard of any major accidents on landing. Maybe there were mishaps that were not publicized?

I watch them land at Indianapolis International Airport frequently and have never seen even a rough landing in one. Smooth approaches, smooth touchdowns. All Fed-Ex jets. So apparently at least Fed Ex seems to know how to land them.

Maybe they should just put all Naval aviators on them who are carrier qualified. Has to be a cake walk for those folks. LOL.

 

[GON]

Interesting, but I've not heard of any major accidents on landing. Maybe there were mishaps that were not publicized?

I watch them land at Indianapolis International Airport frequently and have never seen even a rough landing in one. Smooth approaches, smooth touchdowns. All Fed-Ex jets. So apparently at least Fed Ex seems to know how to land them.

Maybe they should just put all Naval aviators on them who are carrier qualified. Has to be a cake walk for those folks. LOL.

This is one MD11 landing that was well documented and lots of lessons learned:

On 23 March 2009, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F registered N526FE[2] operating the flight crashed while attempting a landing on Runway 34L in gusty and highly variable weather conditions, including winds in excess of 40 knots (74 km/h). The aircraft became destabilized after the fatigued co-pilot's delayed start of the landing flare, subsequently exacerbated by his excessively large, nose-down inputs causing abrupt changes in the plane's pitch, increasing the speed and severity of repeated touchdowns during the bounced landing. This resulted in a structural failure of the landing gear and airframe, with the left wing detaching and power of the jet on the right wing thus causing the plane to roll.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FedEx_Express_Flight_80

The wreckage of FedEx flight 80 at Narita Airport after the crash.

Photo- credit: Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

 

[mk378]

There have been four which had similar accidents involving bouncing and breaking apart / going out of control on the ground during landing. All four aircraft were a total loss. Though two of those crashes were not fatal, three passengers and two pilots were killed in the other two.