The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has broadened its emergency airworthiness directive to include the Douglas DC-10 following a serious engine pylon issue first identified in the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter fleet. This decision comes just days after the grounding of the MD-11F due to urgent inspections prompted by the fatal crash of UPS Airlines Flight 2976 in Louisville, which resulted in the deaths of three crew members and several individuals on the ground.
The FAA’s action reflects growing concerns that the similarities in the engine pylon design between the MD-11 and the DC-10 could expose the older aircraft to the same risk of engine separation that was observed during the UPS incident. As a result, operators of the aging tri-jets are now required to conduct immediate inspections, which could lead to substantial disruptions in their fleets.
Background of the Issue
The investigation into the crash of UPS Airlines Flight 2976 revealed that the aircraft lost an engine and pylon shortly after takeoff. In response, Boeing recommended that all MD-11 freighter operators suspend flights while an engineering analysis of the engine pylons was undertaken. This prompted the FAA to issue an emergency airworthiness directive, grounding the MD-11 fleet until necessary inspections and corrective actions could be completed.
Subsequently, the FAA determined that the design features of the engine pylons in the DC-10 and MD-11 models were sufficiently similar to warrant an expansion of the directive. According to data from FlightRadar24, the emergency directive now mandates inspections for DC-10s and prohibits any further flights until those inspections are satisfactorily completed.
Impact on DC-10 Operators
For the limited number of cargo carriers still operating the Douglas DC-10 and MD-11, this expanded directive presents significant operational challenges. Aircraft will not be permitted to fly until pylon and associated structural inspections have been performed using FAA-approved procedures. If any faults are identified, repairs will be necessary.
As a result, immediate scheduling disruptions are expected, which may force operators to reroute freight onto other fleets. This can lead to contractual penalties if replacement capacity is not quickly arranged. Maintenance organizations will need to allocate experienced engineers and specialized tools to conduct the inspections, further straining resources that may already be committed to other tasks.
Insurance and leasing companies are likely to intensify their scrutiny of these aircraft, and some operators may choose to accelerate existing retirement plans rather than invest in compliance for aircraft nearing the end of their economic viability. In the short term, this directive could tighten capacity in the widebody freighter market and increase operational costs. Over the long term, it may hasten the departure of classic tri-jets from active cargo service.
Reasoning Behind the FAA’s Decision
The FAA’s decision was driven by concerns regarding a “common cause” that emerged during initial investigations of the UPS MD-11F crash. Findings suggested that catastrophic failures in the left engine led to the separation of both the engine and the pylon from the aircraft during takeoff. Since both the MD-11 and the DC-10 share a common type certificate along with closely related pylon structures, engineers quickly recognized that a potentially unsafe condition could exist across the entire family of tri-jets.
Emergency directives are typically reserved for situations that could jeopardize the safety of flight and landing. The risk posed by engine-pylon separation during takeoff is significant, prompting regulators to take a precautionary approach. Rather than waiting for confirmation that the same issue affects DC-10 fleets, the FAA has opted to ground the affected aircraft until their structural integrity can be verified. The goal is to minimize risks while developing long-term solutions once the root causes are fully understood.
