Boeing has a fix for the grounded MD-11, according to FedEx
By Lauren Rosenblatt
Boeing has designed a fix for its grounded MD-11 planes that will return them to the skies, according to FedEx, one of the major carriers eager to return the cargo plane to service.
FedEx said it expected to start bringing its fleet of MD-11 planes back in operation this month, pending final regulatory approval of Boeing’s proposed solution. The aging tri-jets have been grounded since a deadly crash six months ago that saw an engine break free from a UPS MD-11’s wing.
Boeing has developed a maintenance and inspection plan, according to FedEx, including replacing a small piece of the hardware that holds the plane’s engines to its wings.
That piece, known as a bearing, has been a crucial factor in the investigation into what caused a deadly UPS MD-11 crash in November. The plane’s left engine and pylon, an attachment that connects the engine to the wing, separated and flew over the top of the plane, essentially creating a fireball that skidded into nearby buildings. The crash killed three UPS crew members and 12 people on the ground.
Now, following Boeing’s proposed solution and regulatory approval, FedEx said its maintenance team will install new bearings in the aft mounts of each side pylon and inspect the aft bulkheads. After those repairs and postrepair inspections, each aircraft will undergo a test flight before returning to service, FedEx said.
“Safety is our highest priority,” a company spokesperson said. “Over the past several months, our airline safety, engineering and maintenance teams have conducted rigorous safety inspections, maintenance and planning to prepare our MD-11 fleet to return to service.”
The Federal Aviation Administration, which grounded the MD-11 and its predecessor the DC-10 after the fatal crash, must sign off on the fix and the inspection process before the planes could fly again.
The FAA said Thursday its emergency airworthiness directive prohibiting further flights remains in effect.
Boeing deferred any questions about the MD-11 to FedEx and the FAA.
The MD-11, a McDonnell Douglas plane that Boeing took responsibility for when it merged with the company in 1997, has had an uncertain future since the November crash.
Both FedEx and UPS were already planning to retire their fleet over the next few years, replacing the aging plane with more fuel-efficient models. But UPS accelerated its plans after the crash and said in January it retired all 27 of its MD-11s. Western Global, the only other major carrier operating the MD-11, has not shared its plans for its fleet.
FedEx has maintained that its fleet of 28 MD-11s will return to service this year. The Wall Street Journal first reported in April that the carrier was preparing to bring its fleet back in operation this month, citing a memo sent to employees.
FedEx still expects to retire its MD-11 fleet over the next six years.
The carrier’s maintenance team will complete the necessary repairs where the aircraft are currently parked, the company spokesperson said. The exact date of the MD-11s return to service will depend on FAA’s final approval.
Stephen Rimmer, the CEO of aviation finance firm Altavair, said there are still a lot of unknowns about what comes next for the aging cargo plane. It’s not clear how often carriers will have to inspect and replace the new bearing, or how FedEx intends to install the piece, which is in a difficult-to-reach part of the plane, or who will pay for it.
After the sudden grounding, the planes had to stay where they were, leaving some in locations that aren’t “very user-friendly” for the types of repairs that might be required, Rimmer said. “That adds to the challenge of getting these airplanes back up and running again.”
Rimmer was surprised that FedEx had been so forthright about its timeline for returning the plane to the sky, ahead of any indication from the regulator that it was ready to approve a solution.
But, he continued, “I don’t think FedEx is going to fly something that they don’t believe is safe. There’s just too many downsides to it.”
