• U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey urges FAA to ground MD-11 aircraft.

• UPS Flight 2976 crashed in Louisville last November, killing 15 people.

• The MD-11 has experienced at least 10 hull-loss accidents since 1990.

U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday urging the agency to ground all McDonnell Douglas MD‑11 aircraft following a deadly crash in Louisville last November.

On the evening of Nov. 4, 2025, the Louisville Metro Police Department and multiple agencies responded to Muhammad Ali International Airport after UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff.

The Associated Press reported that the cargo plane’s left wing caught fire and an engine separated from the aircraft shortly before it crashed. The plane exploded, initially killing 12 people, including a child.

Following an extensive investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board later determined that a total of 15 people died as a result of the crash, including the three crewmembers.

After the crash, UPS announced in January that it had retired its fleet of MD‑11 cargo planes.

In his letter dated April 24, McGarvey urged the FAA to permanently ground all remaining MD‑11 aircraft.

Citing the NTSB, McGarvey said the plane experienced a critical structural failure that caused the left engine and pylon to detach from the aircraft.

“This tragedy took the lives of 15 people while also causing massive structural and environmental damage,” McGarvey wrote.

McGarvey also alleged the MD‑11 has a history of safety concerns and mechanical issues, writing that this “is a cause for the FAA to permanently ground this model of aircraft from service, forcing the few remaining aircraft to be retired.”

According to the Aviation Safety Network, MD‑11 aircraft have experienced at least 10 hull-loss accidents since entering service in 1990. McGarvey wrote that the MD‑11 has the highest hull-loss rate per million departures of any wide-body commercial jet still flying in the U.S.

“Given the MD‑11’s safety record, the NTSB’s preliminary report on the Louisville crash, and the FAA’s statutory obligations, I urge the FAA to take immediate steps to permanently ground the MD‑11,” McGarvey wrote.

Source: FOX 56