The Louisville UPS plane crash and the grounding of the MD-11

Gone quiet · last story May 19, 2026

What this arc covers

The November 2025 crash of a UPS cargo plane on takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, which killed 15: the victims, the investigators' finding of cracks in an engine mount, the grounding of MD-11 planes by UPS and FedEx, and UPS's retirement of its MD-11 fleet.

Louisville

Earliest story we hold Nov 4, 2025 · 11 stories · 87 independent sources (counted once each) · 196 days

Part ofKentuckyLouisvilleNational Transportation Safety Board

Part of Air crashes

  1. The Azerbaijan Airlines crash and Russia's role in itDec 25, 2024 – Oct 9, 2025
  2. The Hudson River sightseeing helicopter crash that killed sixApr 10, 2025 – Jul 16, 2026
  3. The Louisville UPS plane crash and the grounding of the MD-11This arcNov 4, 2025 – May 19, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

May 192026Hearings to focus on why a UPS cargo plane engine fell off, causing deadly crash19 articles · 10 independent sources
1 left, 5 center, 0 right
May 122026The MD-11 cargo planes involved in last fall's deadly UPS crash in Kentucky return to the air6 articles · 4 independent sources
0 left, 3 center, 0 right
Jan 27– 282026UPS retires fleet of MD-11 aircraft months after fatal Kentucky crash killed 157 articles · 7 independent sources
1 left, 1 center, 2 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Nov 4 – 6, 2025At least 12 killed, others injured after a UPS plane crashes near the Louisville airport212 articles · 60 independent sources
  2. Nov 5 – 12, 2025UPS plane crash victims named by Kentucky officials57 articles · 28 independent sources
    1. Nov 5, 2025At least 12 killed, others injured after a UPS plane crashes near the Louisville airport
    2. Nov 7, 2025Only center coverage:UPS plane crash: Death toll rises to 13, crews search 'mangled' debris for victims
    3. Nov 9, 2025No people thought unaccounted for as UPS cargo plane crash toll stands at 14, Louisville mayor says
  3. Nov 8 – 9, 2025MD-11 planes grounded by UPS, FedEx after Kentucky crash54 articles · 34 independent sources
  4. Nov 20 – 21, 2025Investigators say UPS plane that crashed in Kentucky, killing 14, had cracks in engine mount43 articles · 24 independent sources
  5. Nov 28, 2025Fleet of UPS planes grounded after deadly crash expected to miss peak delivery season31 articles · 20 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Nov 3Dec 15Jan 19Mar 2Apr 6May 18

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Nov 3, 2025124016302
Nov 10, 20250328
Nov 17, 2025010143
Nov 24, 202513231
Dec 22, 202526121
Jan 12, 202616128
Jan 26, 20261127
May 11, 20260306
May 18, 202615019

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

19% left · 63% center · 18% right of 87 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 11 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. November 2025

    Nov 4– 6At least 12 killed, others injured after a UPS plane crashes near the Louisville airport212 articles · 60 independent sources
    10 left, 30 center, 14 right
  2. Nov 5– 12UPS plane crash victims named by Kentucky officials57 articles · 28 independent sources
    2 left, 17 center, 4 right
  3. Nov 8– 9MD-11 planes grounded by UPS, FedEx after Kentucky crash54 articles · 34 independent sources
    4 left, 13 center, 4 right
  4. Nov 20– 21Investigators say UPS plane that crashed in Kentucky, killing 14, had cracks in engine mount43 articles · 24 independent sources
    0 left, 10 center, 1 right
  5. Nov 28Fleet of UPS planes grounded after deadly crash expected to miss peak delivery season31 articles · 20 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 2 right

  6. December 2025

    Dec 26UPS plane crash in Louisville claims 15th victim weeks after fiery takeoff failure13 articles · 2 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
  7. Dec 26UPS plane crash death toll rises to 15 as victim dies on Christmas Day8 articles · 8 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 2 right

  8. January 2026

    Jan 14– 15UPS plane crash update: Part that broke failed 4 times on other aircraft years ago28 articles · 17 independent sources
    1 left, 6 center, 1 right
  9. Jan 27– 28UPS retires fleet of MD-11 aircraft months after fatal Kentucky crash killed 157 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 2 right

  10. May 2026

    May 12The MD-11 cargo planes involved in last fall's deadly UPS crash in Kentucky return to the air6 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  11. May 19Hearings to focus on why a UPS cargo plane engine fell off, causing deadly crash19 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 5 center, 0 right