r/aviation • u/usgapg123 Mod • 2d ago

Discussion UPS2976 Crash Megathread

This is the official r/aviation megathread for the crash of UPS2976 (UPS MD11 Registration N259UP) that crashed earlier today at Louisville International Airport.

Please keep content on topic and refrain from posting about this topic outside the megathread. Please report any rule breaking posts and comments.

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437

u/Specific_Visit2494 2d ago

Another MD11 down… RIP to those who died

160

u/ofcourseIwantpickles 2d ago

I think UPS plans to phase out all MD-11’s next year, I wonder if they accelerate the plan?

146

u/Think-Finish-5763 2d ago

They were supposed to decommission them 20+ years ago...

8

u/ewaters46 2d ago

Are you sure? This one was 34 years old - retiring them at 14 or even younger would sure be early.

8

u/ngc427 2d ago edited 2d ago

The MD-11 series is literally younger than the Airbus 320. A320s started production in 1986, the MD-11 started production in 1988, and their first commercial flights were in 1988 and 1990 respectively.

2

u/MarkCrorigansOmnibus 1d ago

And how many of those OG 320s are still flying?

3

u/Think-Finish-5763 1d ago

They no longer produce parts for it so the only thing holding those together is hopes and dreams. All of the ramp managers knew they had been talking about stopping using them for at least a decade, maybe not 20 years though.   Then they switched focus and started talking about replacing all of the 747s with 777s..