UPS, FedEx ground some cargo fleets after deadly Kentucky plane crash

FedEx and UPS on Friday announced a temporary ground stop for fleets of McDonnell Douglas, or MD-11, cargo planes following a deadly crash in Louisville, Ky., earlier this week that killed at least 12 people.

"MD-11s are approximately 9 percent of the UPS Airlines fleet," according to UPS in a short statement. "The grounding is effective immediately. We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer."

The company added, "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve."

FedEx confirmed with The Hill that it was also grounding MD-11 fleet "as we conduct a thorough safety review based on the recommendation of the manufacturer."

"We are immediately implementing contingency plans within our integrated air-ground network to minimize disruptions," the company continued. "Our teams are focused on delivering the highest standards of safety and service for our customers and team members."

Boeing, the manufacturer of the MD-11 aircraft, made this recommendation to FedEx and UPS "in an abundance of caution and we will continue coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] on this matter.”

"Boeing’s Safety Review Board assessed all available information and concluded further engineering analysis was needed," Boeing officials told The Hill. "We recommended temporarily pausing fleet operations, so the analysis and any necessary corrective actions could be completed."

The aviation accident at the UPS Worldport, located at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, killed a dozen people, including one child, on Tuesday. Just after takeoff, a UPS cargo plane’s left wing caught on fire and an engine fell off just before it crashed and exploded, officials revealed.

The investigation is ongoing.

The incident is expected to delay shipping, though experts told the Associated Press that the impact should be lessened before peak holiday season.

“I understand the circumstance and will gladly receive it when it arrives,” Tom Goldsby, professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, told the AP. “People and businesses don’t have a lot of understanding (about the supply chain)."

He added, "We just don’t expect our logistics operations to have a calamity or even a bad day.″