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UPS Grounds Planes After Deadly Crash

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**UPS Temporarily Grounds Part of Its Air Fleet Following Deadly Cargo Plane Crash in Kentucky**

UPS has temporarily grounded a portion of its air fleet after a tragic crash involving one of its cargo planes resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people in Kentucky. The decision impacts approximately 9 percent of the company’s aircraft.

“Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet. MD-11s are approximately 9% of the UPS Airlines fleet,” the company said in an official statement.

The grounding is effective immediately. UPS added, “We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve. Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the reliable service our customers around the world count on.”

### Why It Matters

This grounding highlights the fragility of the U.S. supply chain as the country heads into the busy holiday season. UPS is one of the nation’s largest air cargo carriers, and any disruption to its operations could delay deliveries and impact businesses that depend on rapid shipping.

### Crash Details

On Tuesday, UPS Airlines Flight 2976, an MD-11 aircraft, crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. The flight was bound for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.

At least 14 people lost their lives in the crash, including pilots Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m. local time with three crew members onboard. Moments after takeoff, the plane’s left wing reportedly caught fire and an engine detached, causing the wide-body freighter to crash to the ground and erupt into a massive fireball.

### Industry Response and Investigation

In response to the accident, rival FedEx also grounded its fleet of 28 MD-11 planes as a precautionary measure.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the aircraft’s maintenance history. Notably, the jet had recently undergone repairs in Texas. Early NTSB findings suggest that the engine—not the wing—detached mid-flight, though the exact cause of the crash remains under review.

### Legal Actions Filed

The day following the crash, a class-action lawsuit was filed against UPS, Boeing, and General Electric. The lawsuit alleges that the companies’ “recklessness” led to the tragedy.

According to the complaint, filed by local resident Shakeara Ware, auto shop Triple D, Inc., and property owner Ensey LLC, the defendants’ actions have caused “trauma, fear and uncertainty” among plaintiffs and many Kentuckians. The suit seeks damages for emotional distress, business interruption, revenue losses, lost wages, and property damage.

The lawsuit also criticizes the MD-11 aircraft model and its CF-6 engines, citing a troubling safety history. It alleges that the plane has been linked to multiple catastrophic failures and ranks among the least reliable commercial aircraft still in service.

The complaint references previous MD-11 crashes, including a 2009 FedEx disaster in Tokyo, along with several CF-6 engine-related accidents over the decades. It suggests that similar mechanical defects “caused or contributed” to the Louisville crash.

### Ongoing Investigations

No definitive conclusions have been reached regarding the cause of the crash. Investigations and analysis by the NTSB and other authorities are ongoing.

UPS and related parties have vowed full cooperation with investigators as efforts continue to uncover what led to this devastating event.
https://www.newsweek.com/ups-grounds-planes-after-deadly-crash-11014977

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‘Heartbreaking’: Louisville business destroyed, employees missing after UPS plane crash

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Sean Garber had just boarded a plane in Jacksonville, Florida, when the call came in from his CFO at Grade A Auto Parts and Recycling in Louisville. She was crying, screaming, rushing a flurry of explanations through the phone as she tried to describe the scene before her to Garber, owner and CEO of Grade A.

An earthquake, a power outage, and the scrap metal office exploding. None of it made sense. When she turned the camera to FaceTime, Garber still couldn’t understand. A rising black cloud of smoke, flames everywhere, the sound of explosions coming through the phone’s tinny speakers.

“It wasn’t logical to even understand,” Garber said. “The images I was seeing—it would have to be a military bomb that created that.” But it wasn’t.

Just minutes before, UPS Flight 2976 had crashed while departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on its way to Honolulu. The plane fell shortly after takeoff, hitting a petroleum recycling center and carving a path of destruction through an industrial zone near the airport, killing at least 13 people, including a young child, and injuring several others.

Three of Grade A’s employees are still unaccounted for as agencies work to search for and identify victims. Since his return to Louisville, Garber has been with his employees and the families of those still missing, saying many are still looking for answers.

“They want to bring closure,” Garber said. “They want to know have they found them? And if not, where are they?”

“With knowing that there’s this many unidentified bodies, it’s just weighing on them heavily,” Garber continued. “But I do know that the authorities are working diligently to figure it out.”

Garber said he hopes that results from DNA sampling tests will come back “any hour or any day now” and that families can receive the closure they’re seeking.

Garber was also proud of his employees and customers inside the business for their actions amid the chaos of the explosion. Someone threw a female employee out a window to save her from the flames once it was clear the exits were blocked. Another rescued a customer who had burns over 95% of his body, pulling him to safety, Garber said.

He recounted a story told by two managers: one saw the fireball and tackled the other to safety but panicked as the exits were blocked, only to be pulled to safety by the coworker he had just tackled.

“One person saved a life and then the person paid that back and helped and dragged him out through the fire and saved his life,” Garber said. “It’s indescribable.”

Although his focus is on his employees and their families at this time, seeing 20 years of his business and life in rubble was devastating not only for Garber but for those who depend on Grade A Auto Parts.

“To see it completely destroyed and unable to function going forward at this particular time is heartbreaking,” Garber said.

On Nov. 7, firms Whiteford Taylor & Preston and Peterson Law announced they would represent “several Kentucky families of the injured and deceased including Grade A Recycling, and its employees for damages sustained” during the crash, according to a release from the firms.

“It will take a long time to rebuild the lives and businesses impacted by the crash,” Garber said, asking the community to continue to support and show their love to those affected.

“It’s not just my company,” Garber said. “The whole Grade Lane—there’s multiple companies shut down, and they have employees too. So we as a community need to figure out how we can get everybody back to where they once were.”

Those interested in donating to Grade A Auto employees can visit [gofund.me/eca6a0b34](https://gofund.me/eca6a0b34).

For more information, reach reporter Keely Doll at kdoll@courierjournal.com or follow her on X at [@keely_doll](https://x.com/keely_doll).
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/heartbreaking-louisville-business-destroyed-employees-100651589.html