MD-11, aircraft in fatal crash, cleared for US flight once more / Photo: LEANDRO LOZADA - AFP
-
Storied Paris department store seeks bankruptcy protection
-
UN nuclear watchdog chief urges Iran to grant access
-
Xhaka, Embolo can return to Swiss squad after fake Covid docs affair
-
Boeing shares tumble after it releases cautious growth forecast
-
Allegri suspended for two Serie A games after red card
-
Lula's re-election revives Brazil-US tensions
-
Flight data, satellite images reveal growing US role at Ecuador base
-
Carney moves to remake Canada alliances as US ties strained
-
McInnes feels 'guilt' ahead of Hearts return with Rangers
-
Serbia's students demand state media chiefs resign after poll win
-
Brazil's Lula turns 81, vows to work '24 hours a day'
-
Starc takes six as Australia fight back in South Africa decider
-
Boeing releases cautious growth plan as shares fall sharply
-
UK man offered drugged wife to strangers online for sex: court
-
Exiled Russian dissident Navalnaya warns dictators becoming 'more cunning'
-
Africa Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 cases, mostly in DR Congo
-
Bayern 'risk' reaps huge reward for Ballon d'Or winner Kane
-
EU pushes for more nations to pay to protect nature
-
Record turnout as Israeli voters deliver verdict on Netanyahu
-
Boeing reports smaller loss as it aims for stable output growth
-
Iraola says Isak 'feels the trust' after Liverpool scoring streak
-
Tech firms gain on Anthropic IPO optimism; HSBC slumps in London
-
French media protest manhandling of journalists at far-right party rally
-
Sri Lanka end England hopes with crushing win over Pakistan
-
EU seeks deportation powers for beefed up border agency
-
Dangote, Nigeria's oil tycoon rewriting Africa's story
-
Two charged with UK security offences over airbase plot: police
-
Carrick to remain Man Utd boss for Chelsea clash: reports
-
Maresca defends Donnarumma, Guehi after Man City defeat
-
Greenhouse gas levels hit new record highs in 2025: UN
-
Nordic leaders call Putin as local truce begins in Ukraine
-
Rybakina looking to clinch year-end number one in Tokyo
-
Osaka unveils crane outfit in Tokyo before win over Paolini
-
Tech firms track Wall St rally on mixed day for stock markets
-
Ronaldo in line for Portugal return after fallout with coach
-
Kane says Ballon d'Or win 'feels like a dream' as tributes pour in
-
Norway media take legal action to block Meta from using content
-
HSBC profit jumps on higher rates, lower costs
-
Bayern praise 'humble' Kane after Ballon d'Or win
-
Rams rediscover offensive balance in 35-21 victory over Raiders
-
Colts retain Daniel Jones as starter despite continued offensive struggles
-
Mercedes-Benz cuts 2026 profit outlook on tough China market
-
Madushanka wrecks Pakistan as Sri Lanka press for final slot
-
Reparations calls follow Charles on tough Caribbean trip
-
Destructive Abhishek 113 leads India to series win over New Zealand
-
Jammu and Kashmir ministers resign before planned council expansion
-
Norway, Finland leaders hold 'frank and substantive' talk with Putin
-
Germany, EU, stable investment stops despite upheaval: Merz
-
Wall Street faces earnings and Fed tests after turbulent technology-led week
-
China brands drop Mbappe for 'offending national sentiments'
MD-11, aircraft in fatal crash, cleared for US flight once more
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 -- a jetliner involved in a fatal crash in November -- has been cleared to return to flight, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday.
"After extensive review, the FAA approved Boeing’s protocol for safely returning MD-11 airplanes to service," an FAA spokesperson said.
The agency had ordered the grounding of all MD-11s on November 9, 2025, days after an accident that killed 14 people in Louisville, Kentucky, including 11 on the ground.
The cargo plane, operated by delivery company UPS and bound for Hawaii, crashed after one of its engines detached during takeoff and caught fire. The aircraft exploded when it hit industrial buildings near the airport.
According to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on November 20, a crucial component attaching the engines to the wings showed fatigue cracks and broke during takeoff.
An NTSB investigative hearing is scheduled for May 19.
Boeing -- which acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997 -- announced on Monday that, following the regulatory green light, it had sent MD-11 owners instructions for carrying out inspections on their aircraft.
UPS grounded the fleet four days after the accident, and its chief executive announced in late January that the company would speed up the retirement of the entire fleet, which began in 2023.
"UPS accelerated and completed the retirement of our MD-11s as part of our broader fleet modernization efforts, and the aircraft is no longer part of our operation," a spokesperson told AFP on Monday.
FedEx, a competitor, by contrast, had been eagerly waiting to put its own MD-11s back into service.
During the presentation of quarterly results on March 19, Chief Financial Officer John Dietrich said he expected a return to service toward the end of the current quarter.
According to a statement sent to AFP on Monday, two FedEx MD-11s resumed commercial flights as early as Sunday, after "confirmation that the required repairs and inspections" specified by Boeing and approved by the FAA had been completed, and after test flights.
The two aircraft departed from Memphis Airport in Tennessee, one bound for Miami, Florida and the other for Los Angeles, California.
B.Finley--AMWN