Large fireball erupts over Louisville after UPS plane crash
Video captures the moment a UPS plane crashes shortly after takeoff in Louisville, erupting in a huge fireball.
The United Parcel Service cargo plane that crashed into an industrial site in Kentucky last year, killing 15 people, had defective parts that aerospace company Boeing reported 14 years ago, according to a new National Transportation Safety Board investigation released this week.
According to the latest NTSB report released on January 14, the parts that broke in this accident had failed four other times.
The Nov. 4 crash in Louisville was the worst disaster in UPS aviation history, USA TODAY previously reported. Nearly 20 bystanders on the ground were also injured in connection with the disaster.
Hawaii-bound Flight 2976 exploded into a fireball shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport at 5:15 p.m., causing the Boeing MD-11F to crash into an industrial area, killing all three people on board and 12 people on the ground.
In its latest six-page report released on Jan. 14, the NTSB said Boeing knew about flagged parts of the plane involved in the crash.
Research on airplanes with cracks
In a February 2011 letter to airlines, Boeing pointed to four accidents involving three MD-11 aircraft, the same type as UPS Flight 2976, due to failures in parts of the pylons that connect the engines. After takeoff, UPS Flight 2976’s pylon and left engine separated from the wing, causing the plane to crash, according to the report.
The MD-11 aircraft examined by Boeing had fatigue cracks in its pylons similar to those reported by NTSB investigators in their preliminary investigation into the Nov. 4 crash. Following the investigation into the cracked aircraft, Boeing announced it would update its maintenance manuals to include testing to ensure that the cracked spherical bearing races remain functional.
NTSB officials said they are still reviewing the inspection technology Boeing used on the MD-11 plane, how UPS incorporated the information in Boeing’s letter into its operations, and “the history of Boeing’s communications with the FAA leading up to and after the issuance of the service letter.”
The crash and resulting fire disrupted operations at the UPS Worldport facility and delayed delivery service.
The NTSB’s final investigation report into the UPS incident is expected to be released within the next two years.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
Leo Bertucci is a reporter for Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee at X.
