Congressman Morgan McGarvey Calls on FAA to Permanently Ground MD-11 After Tragic Louisville Crash in November

Congressman Morgan McGarvey Calls on FAA to Permanently Ground MD-11 After Tragic Louisville Crash in November

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 24, 2026) - Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), urging the agency to permanently ground the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (MD-11) after the devastating crash of UPS Flight 2976 in Louisville last November.

According to initial reporting and the National Transportation Safety Board, Flight 2976 experienced a critical structural failure causing the left engine and pylon to detach from the rest of the aircraft.

"Families have lost loved ones, communities have suffered overwhelming sadness, and the nation has witnessed yet another catastrophic disaster involving an aircraft with a long-documented history of mechanical problems," McGarvey wrote. "We have a collective responsibility to ensure that no additional lives are put at risk by an aircraft whose design and operational history have repeatedly demonstrated an unacceptable level of danger."

The letter asserts the tragedy in Louisville was the result of a broader pattern of structural deficiencies, citing a long-documented history of mechanical problems as cause for the FAA to permanently ground the model of aircraft from service.

The MD-11 has experienced at least ten hull loss accidents since entering service in 1990 - the highest hull loss rate (per million departures) of any wide-body commercial jet airliner still flying within the U.S. - according to Boeing, the model's manufacturer.

"Given the MD-11's safety record, the NTSB's preliminary report on the Louisville crash, and the FAA's statutory obligations, I urge the FAA to take immediate steps to permanently ground the MD-11," the Congressman concluded.

Read the full letter here.

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Congressman Morgan McGarvey represents Kentucky's Third Congressional District, including Louisville and Jefferson County. He serves on the House Veterans Affairs, Small Business, and Budget Committees.