Cross are laid out in remembrance those lost to the UPS flight 2976 plane crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport during a vigil hosted by St. Stephen Church, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at the Great Lawn.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday, Nov. 8, issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) requiring aircraft inspections for MD-11 cargo planes following the fatal crash in Kentucky.

According to the FAA, the directive was prompted by "an accident where the left-handed engine and pylon detached from the airplane before takeoff." The directive comes as the FAA continues to determine the cause of the detachment, which led to the Nov. 4 crash of a UPS cargo flight in Louisville, where 14 people died, including three crew members.

The FAA decided to issue the AD because "the agency has determined the unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design."

The AD was sent to Boeing for its MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes, according to the FAA. The AD also prohibits further flight until the airplanes are inspected and "all applicable corrective actions are performed."

The FAA is considering this AD to be an "interim action." However, if a final action is later identified, the government agency said it "might consider further rulemaking then."

UPS, FedEx grounded all MD-11 cargo planes

In a Nov. 7 statement, UPS said it would temporarily ground its MD-11 fleet effective immediately.

“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,” UPS said. The grounding affects about 9% of the UPS Airlines fleet, according to the company.

FedEx, in an email to USA TODAY on Nov. 8, said the company also grounded its MD-11 fleet out of an abundance of caution. According to the company, it operates about 28 MD-11 airplanes, representing around 4% of its roughly 700-aircraft fleet.

This decision by the global shipping and logistics companies comes after the deadliest crash in UPS Airlines' history, which led to the confirmed 14 deaths, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced on X Nov. 8.

"We believe the total number of victims will be 14," Greenberg said. "The Jefferson County Coroner is working rapidly to identify each victim and will make their names public as soon as their identities are confirmed. May the victims’ memories be a blessing."

Both UPS and FedEx said Boeing recommended grounding all MD-11s.

Boeing recommended suspending flights for 'additional engineering analysis'

Boeing, in a Nov. 7 statement, said it “recommended to the three operators of MD-11 that they suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed.”

Boeing’s statement added that its decision was made out of an abundance of caution as it continues coordinating with the FAA.

There are 70 MD-11 airplanes across UPS, FedEx and Western Global Airlines, wrote Boeing spokesperson Andy Lee in an email to USA TODAY.

What happened during the UPS cargo flight in Louisville?

At about 5:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 4, UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after taking off for Honolulu from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. A large plume of fire erupted around the airplane's left wing, and one of its three engines detached as the aircraft rolled down the runway, according to Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

During a Nov. 7 news conference, Inman stated that the area of the crash site remained an "active debris field" and that small fires and smoke had still been observed in the area on Friday.

According to Inman, part of the black box contained two hours and four minutes of what the agency considers “good quality digital recorded audio."

“About 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust, a repeating bell was heard on the (cockpit voice recorder), which persisted until the end of the recording 25 seconds later,” Inman said about the audio. “During this time, the crew engaged in efforts to attempt to control the aircraft before the crash.”

Louisville is UPS’ largest shipping and logistics facility globally, and it’s the headquarters for UPS Airlines, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

MD-11 airplanes are high-maintenance 'workhorse,' experts say

MD-11 airplanes have been known to be a workhorse in the cargo industry, but over the years, they have gained a reputation for being outdated.

The MD-11 used to carry passengers, but that ceased over a decade ago, primarily due to its high fuel and maintenance costs, experts told USA TODAY. Its tenure as a cargo plane could be nearing an end for the same reasons.

“The model was antiquated by the time it came out – except, of course, for cargo. It’s a workhorse,” Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General, said. It's a "big, heavy" aircraft, Schiavo said.

Economic factors have also impacted MD-11 airplanes, making them even more undesirable in the aviation industry.

“It’s economics. The airplanes are an older design. They’re not as fuel efficient. They require more maintenance than later generation airplanes,” said John Cox, the founder of Safety Operating Systems and the longtime author of USA TODAY's “Ask the Captain” column.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Josh Wood, Olivia Evans, Matthew Glowicki, Doyle Rice & Eduardo Cueva/ USA TODAY and Killian Baarlaer/Louisville Courier Journal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FAA orders inspections on all MD-11 planes after deadly Kentucky crash

Reporting by Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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