The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered all McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft to be grounded until further notice, after a deadly UPS plane crash in Kentucky on November 4. This order is an expansion of a previous directive that also grounded the MD-11, the model of airplane involved in the UPS crash, and which is made by the same manufacturer. This order will remain in effect until inspections have been carried out to ensure the issues that caused the crash are not also present in the DC-10 airplanes.

DC-10 Planes Ordered to Remain Grounded

The FAA has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, ordering the halt of any flight of DC-10 aircraft until further notice, after a UPS flight crashed on Tuesday, November 4. While the plane that crashed was an MD-11, not a DC-10, the two models of plane share many similarities due to being created by the same manufacturer. Moreover, the DC-10 is a significantly older model of plane, meaning it may be even more likely to have serious mechanical issues.

Additional Caution After Fatal UPS Crash

The directive was issued out of caution after a UPS flight out of the Muhammad Ali International Airport crashed shortly after takeoff. While it is not currently clear what caused the accident, an initial investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the plane’s left wing caught fire and the engine detached shortly before the crash. All MD-11 planes were grounded shortly after the accident, and now the FAA has followed suit with the DC-10 models as well.

The Problems of an Aging Air Fleet

Unfortunately, these sorts of defects are likely to continue to be an issue for the air fleet, especially as older planes continue to remain in use long after they were meant to be retired. The DC-10 planes, for example, were first introduced in the early 70s, and were formally retired in 2014. Despite this, these planes remain in use, even as the air frames continue to age, making them more likely to develop dangerous mechanical issues.

Keith Williams, an attorney who has represented clients in aviation accident cases for more than three decades, had this to say: “Until we know whether aging components or maintenance gaps contributed to this tragedy, these aircraft should not be in the air. Every operator and regulator should be laser-focused on preventing another preventable loss of life.”

Why This Matters

While new planes are being manufactured constantly, older models are often kept in service well past their intended service life as a cost-saving measure. This may save airlines money, but wind up putting passengers and crew at unnecessary risk of harm. Accidents like the one that happened in Louisville are often preventable, but require an appropriate level of care from those responsible for maintaining them.