US authorities ground cargo plane model after Kentucky air disaster

US aviation authorities have ordered that all models of a cargo plane that crashed mid-takeoff in Kentucky on Tuesday be grounded.

It comes after a Boeing MD-11 aircraft operated by UPS burst into flames on the runway of Louisville International Airport before colliding into neighbouring businesses, killing 14 people.

The American delivery firm had earlier said it would not operate the planes pending an ongoing investigation, with FedEx then following suit.

Now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a formal notice banning all MD-11 and MD11F aircraft from flying until safety checks are carried out.

In total, 70 models are in use with UPS, FedEx and Western Global Airlines.

FAA officials said the Kentucky crash happened after the plane’s left engine caught fire and detached from the wing during take-off.

The aircraft was carrying 38,000 gallons (144,000 litres) of fuel as it took off for a flight to Hawaii, which contributed to the size of the fire after the crash.

A total of 14 people were killed in the crash and subsequent fire, including one person who had been admitted to hospital, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has said.

He said the number of dead now matches the number of people who were reported missing, indicating officials do not expect the death toll to climb further.

Boeing said it welcomed the directive and that it had already advised the three firms which use the model to stop operating it out of “an abundance of caution”.

It is unclear whether the order will impact delivery services in the US, with none of the three companies reporting disruption so far.

Data collated by the live air traffic website FlightRadar24 showed 55 MD-11 planes were used over the past week.

“Contingency plans are in place to flex our integrated air and ground network to help protect time-sensitive, critical shipments such as lifesaving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other products move through our network without disruption,” FedEx said in a statement.

UPS also said contingency plans were in place to continue its service. A statement continued: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve.”

The final passenger flights using an MD-11 was in 2014, with the model used exclusively as a cargo carrier since.

The model of aircraft involved in the crash was an MD-11F triple-engine plane, which first entered service 34 years ago with Thai Airways as a passenger jet, but was transferred to UPS in 2006.

MD-11s were originally manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, before the company merged with Boeing in 1997. Production of MD-11 planes ended in 2000.