UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Returns To New York JFK After Engine Failure

Summary

A UPS cargo service between New York and Louisville had to return to JFK after an engine failure only 25 minutes into its flight.
The specific aircraft involved, N270UP, is a 28.5-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11 operated by UPS since 2002.
The incident raises concerns about the aging MD-11 fleet and how quickly UPS plans to retire some of these aircraft, as other models are now better suited for the cargo industry.

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A UPS cargo service between New York and Louisville only got twenty-five minutes into its flight before it returned to JFK after an engine shut down.

5X2111 departed from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 08:31 on Tuesday, September 26th, some 36 minutes behind its scheduled departure time for its flight to the UPS hub of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF). The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had climbed to just 11,000 ft before a U-turn was required when the crew noticed the failure of one of its engines (right hand).

Attempted departure from JFK

The MD-11 had departed from JFK’s runway 31L in preparation for its 90-minute journey to Louisville. However, only 25 minutes after takeoff, a faulty engine caused the flight to return to New York and land on runway 04L. The aircraft bearing the registration N270UP has remained on the apron at JFK since and is yet to return to scheduled service.

Photo: Ryan Fletcher / Shutterstock

Before engine troubles in New York, the aircraft in question had operated domestic services throughout the week without significant delays, with the inbound flight from Louisville to New York having operated that same day.

N270UP

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, stuck on the apron at JFK, is a 28.5-year-old aircraft, first taking flight on April 5th, 1995, for Japan Airlines for passenger services (holding the Japanese registration JA8585). UPS took possession of the plane on June 18th, 2002, where it was converted for freighter services and was granted the US registration it still holds today. Airfleets advises the aircraft is powered by 3 x GE CF6-80C2D1F engines.

According to data from FlightRadar24.com, UPS operates up to four services per day between the city pair of JFK and Louisville, with a mix of the MD-11 and Boeing 767-300F and 747-400F.

With 40 MD-11s on hand, eight currently stored, it continues to raise the question of how quickly UPS plans to retire some of its aging fleet. As earlier reported by Simple Flying, only three airlines still operate the airplane type: FedEx, UPS, and Western Global Airlines. Fleet improvements have meant the likes of the 767 and 777 are far better suited for the aviation cargo industry, so curtains are about to be called for the MD-11.