The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F operated by UPS Airlines that tragically crashed on Tuesday evening at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) was a relic by comparison to most commercial planes in service today. The jet is serial number (MSN) 48417, according to the Aviation Safety Network. It rolled off the line in 1991, which was the same year that the Soviet Union dissolved and the Cold War came to an end.

UPS has been working towards sunsetting the MD-11F fleet it owns, which includes the last airframe of the type ever made, but it still flies 27 examples to this day. So, on the heels of a terrible crash that killed at least 12 people, the question is, why does UPS still rely on such antiquated cargo jets?

Over The Hill: The UPS Fleet

The UPS fleet has an ave

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