UPS jet grounded after tire blowout during Miami landing

The flight departed from Louisville without issue at 17:13 EDT but experienced delays over Sarasota due to multiple holding patterns over Naples and Everglades City. This suggests potential gear issues were noted by the crew prior to landing. Aviation Herald reported that despite an hour-and-a-half delay, the plane landed on runway 08L at Miami at 19:50 EDT.

N262UP is notable for being the last MD-11 ever built, first flying in January 2001. While reliable for UPS, its tri-jet design is less efficient compared to twin-jets like Boeing's offerings. As such, UPS began retiring these models two years ago and plans full retirement before decade's end, replacing them with Boeing 767Fs.

In contrast, FedEx has opted not to retire most of its MD-11s until at least 2032 due to increased demand for widebody freighters following a lost contract with the US Postal Service.

Historically, tire blowouts can pose significant risks during takeoff or landing phases of flight operations. A similar incident involving another UPS MD-11 occurred in 2016 when tires burst upon takeoff from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport leading to an overrun accident without casualties but resulting in significant damage and eventual write-off of that aircraft.