The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered the temporary grounding of all MD-11 aircraft following a fatal crash involving a United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane in Louisville, Kentucky, last Tuesday, which claimed at least 14 lives.

On Saturday, the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive in response to an incident involving "the separation of the left engine and pylon during takeoff." The regulatory notice did not specify the potential cause of the engine detachment.

The directive prohibits all MD-11 flights until inspections are completed and owners implement corrective measures approved by the FAA.

UPS announced late Friday that it would ground its MD-11 fleet following recommendations from manufacturer Boeing. The company noted that MD-11s account for approximately 9% of its total fleet. FedEx subsequently stated it would follow suit.

Currently, around 70 MD-11 freighters remain in operation globally.