NTSB investigation begins after Louisville UPS plane crash
Flights have resumed after a UPS-operated MD-11 plane crashed in Louisville, killing at least nine people, but the investigation could take months.
Days after a United Parcel Service cargo plane crash sparked a deadly fireball in Louisville, Kentucky, authorities fear the death toll could continue to rise as the search for answers slowly begins.
At least 12 people were killed and several others injured in the Nov. 4 accident, officials said. Officials described an “apocalyptic” scene, detailing falling debris and blackened skies over Louisville in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
According to authorities, as of November 5, at least nine other people were confirmed dead on the ground, in addition to the three people on board the plane who were presumed dead. Gov. Andy Beshear said it may be difficult for the coroner to identify the bodies due to the extent of the damage.
Beshear warned that the death toll could be higher because authorities do not expect to find any survivors at the crash site. Earlier on Nov. 5, the governor announced that 16 families had reported their loved ones missing.
“It is with great sadness that I share that the death toll has risen to 12 and there are still several people missing,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said on social media on November 5. “No one should face tragedy alone. Please take a moment to hug your loved ones and check on your neighbors.”
Meanwhile, the investigation into the crash has produced some preliminary findings about what went wrong.
Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed at a press conference on November 5 that a large column of fire erupted around the left wing of the plane as it rolled off the runway, causing one of its three engines to disengage.
Inman said investigators recovered the plane’s so-called black boxes: the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. He said it appeared to be unharmed when it was found among the crash debris on Nov. 5, adding that investigators should be able to retrieve data from the system within a few days.
Approximately 28 members of the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Louisville on Nov. 5 to begin the investigation, Greenberg said. The NTSB said the agency assists the agency at the scene by collecting evidence, taking photographs, mapping and measuring the wreckage scene, and “generally serves as an augmentation to the NTSB go team.”
Here’s what we know about the study.
Where did the UPS plane crash occur?
The plane crashed in a primarily industrial area just south of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, about nine miles south of downtown Louisville. The airport is home to UPS Worldport, an international aviation hub with over 300 daily flights and approximately 2 million packages processed daily.
Beshear said two businesses were directly affected by the disaster: Kentucky Oil Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts. Other businesses nearby also escaped the fire, including a convention center, restaurants and a Ford assembly plant.
The crash and subsequent fire also disrupted airport-based operations at the UPS Worldport facility and delayed delivery services. UPS announced on the night of November 5 that it had reopened its facilities.
What is the cause of the UPS plane crash?
The Federal Aviation Administration announced that the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the accident investigation. Full results of the investigation are expected to take more than a year.
The plane’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder will be a key part of the investigation.
“We feel confident that once we get these to our lab in (Washington) D.C., we’ll be able to accurately read out the relevant data. That’s going to be yet another piece of information that will really help us understand what happened,” Inman said.
Inman said the NTSB was “not aware” of staffing shortages due to the government shutdown at the time of the accident. “The SDF tower was adequately complemented as far as we saw and from what we heard,” he said.
The aircraft, a 34-year-old MD-11 cargo plane with three crew members on board, crashed during takeoff on Nov. 4, shortly after flying over a fence at the end of the runway. The plane crashed into nearby structures, including an oil recycling facility, burst into flames and exploded.
Contributor: Janine Santucci and Carissa Wadick, USA Today. Reuters
