air-cargo

FedEx MD-11F Freighters Resume Operations After Six-Month Grounding

FedEx has returned two MD-11F cargo aircraft to service following a six-month suspension imposed after a fatal UPS crash last November. Aircraft N621FE completed its first flight May 9, conducting a one-hour test run from Memphis. The following day, it flew Memphis to Miami in one hour 40 minutes. A second freighter, N521FE, operated two flights May 10—a one-hour Memphis turnaround followed by a three-hour Memphis-to-Los Angeles run. FedEx Chief Operating Officer Richard Smith announced the aircraft were "ready to go" during remarks at the Wings Club in late May. The FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive requiring inspections after the November accident, which killed three pilots and 12 people on the ground. Investigation revealed fatigue cracks in the aft mount assembly connecting the left pylon to the wing, leading to engine separation and fire during takeoff.