Current Airworthiness Directives - Continuously updated , Accidents and Incidents
Current Airworthiness Directives - Continuously updated , Accidents and Incidents
Current Airworthiness Directives for Balloons, Rotorcraft, Below 5700 kgs, Above 5700 kgs & Turbine Engines between 02/01/2026 and 15/1/2026.
Swift B734 at Vilnius on Nov 25th 2024, impacted building on final approach
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) effectively grounding all US-registered McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and MD-11F cargo aircraft effective immediately. This decisive, safety-critical action follows the fatal UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this week, which tragically resulted in 14 fatalities.
Key Details:
The grounding was prompted by investigators confirming a likely catastrophic failure event: the aircraft's left-hand engine and pylon structure detached during the takeoff roll. The FAA's directive prohibits any further flight operations until mandatory, detailed inspections of the engine attachment points and surrounding structure are completed on every MD-11 airframe.
While the investigation into the root cause is ongoing, this action validates the initial decision by major US cargo operators UPS and FedEx Express—which operate the vast majority of this fleet type—to proactively and temporarily ground their MD-11s based on manufacturer recommendations earlier this week.
This grounding represents a severe logistical and operational challenge for global air cargo supply chains in the lead-up to the holiday season.