The aviation accident occurred on November 4 at 5:15 PM local time (November 5 at 2:15 AM Moscow time), when a UPS cargo MD-11 crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville International Airport. There were three crew members on board, all of whom died, as well as, according to preliminary data, at least ten people on the ground. Reports suggest that the cause of the incident may have been a fire in one of the engines. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of approximately 30.5 meters after takeoff, then caught fire and crashed into buildings, resulting in two structures being completely destroyed.
UPS emphasized that the decision to suspend flights was made independently, in accordance with the recommendations of the aircraft manufacturer. Prior to the incident, their fleet included 27 MD-11 aircraft. FedEx, for its part, reported having 28 of these aircraft in operation.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crashed MD-11 had been in service for 34 years and underwent a major overhaul in the fall of this year.
