An engine on the UPS cargo jet that crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, this week reportedly got detached moments after takeoff. The plane’s left wing also caught fire before it went down, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Wednesday.
At least 12 people were killed in the crash, officials said Wednesday. A coroner was at the scene, but the condition of some bodies could make identifying the victims difficult, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear was quoted as saying by the NYT.
Addressing a news conference, NTSB member Todd Inman said on Wednesday that security footage showed the MD-11 jet’s left engine detaching from the wing as it rolled down the runway for takeoff.
He said the aircraft, which had two other engines, cleared a fence at the end of the runway before crashing outside the airport and igniting a fire that spread for nearly half a mile.
US federal safety investigators have also recovered the plane’s “black box” from the wreckage, Inman said in the agency’s first briefing since the disaster.
He said both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, designed to withstand severe impact and extreme heat, appeared to be intact when they were found on Wednesday amid the crash debris.
US aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said investigators are likely to focus on the engine, which video footage shows catching fire and detaching from the aircraft.
"It is designed to fly if you lose one engine, but we need to see the effect of losing that engine on the rest of the aircraft,” Brickhouse was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The crash sparked a massive fire that spread for about half a mile, fueled by the large quantity of jet fuel onboard. The aircraft, carrying roughly 38,000 gallons (144,000 liters) of fuel for a 4,300-mile (6,920 km) flight to Hawaii, was engulfed in a fireball upon impact, Inman said.
The blaze tore through an industrial corridor, igniting multiple fires and explosions, including at a petroleum recycling facility, and scattering debris across nearly half a mile (800 meters).
About 200 firefighters and emergency personnel, along with 50 trucks, were deployed Tuesday to battle the blaze that sent thick black smoke billowing into the evening sky.
Despite the massive fire, governor Beshear said nearby structures, including a convention center, a restaurant, and a Ford Motor Co plant, were not damaged.
Independent Pilots Association President Captain Bob Travis said all three pilots aboard the plane were on duty at the time of the crash. The union, which represents about 3,300 UPS pilots, is participating in the NTSB-led investigation, Travis said in an interview, as cited by Reuters.
Flight records indicate that the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, built in 1991, underwent maintenance while grounded in San Antonio for over a month until mid-October. The nature of the work carried out remains unclear, as reported by AP.
At least 12 people were killed in the crash, officials said Wednesday. A coroner was at the scene, but the condition of some bodies could make identifying the victims difficult, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear was quoted as saying by the NYT.
Addressing a news conference, NTSB member Todd Inman said on Wednesday that security footage showed the MD-11 jet’s left engine detaching from the wing as it rolled down the runway for takeoff.
He said the aircraft, which had two other engines, cleared a fence at the end of the runway before crashing outside the airport and igniting a fire that spread for nearly half a mile.
US federal safety investigators have also recovered the plane’s “black box” from the wreckage, Inman said in the agency’s first briefing since the disaster.
He said both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, designed to withstand severe impact and extreme heat, appeared to be intact when they were found on Wednesday amid the crash debris.
US aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said investigators are likely to focus on the engine, which video footage shows catching fire and detaching from the aircraft.
"It is designed to fly if you lose one engine, but we need to see the effect of losing that engine on the rest of the aircraft,” Brickhouse was quoted as saying by Reuters.
WATCH: New dashcam video shows the crash of UPS Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky pic.twitter.com/Z0LxCeX1eF
— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) November 6, 2025
The crash sparked a massive fire that spread for about half a mile, fueled by the large quantity of jet fuel onboard. The aircraft, carrying roughly 38,000 gallons (144,000 liters) of fuel for a 4,300-mile (6,920 km) flight to Hawaii, was engulfed in a fireball upon impact, Inman said.
The blaze tore through an industrial corridor, igniting multiple fires and explosions, including at a petroleum recycling facility, and scattering debris across nearly half a mile (800 meters).
About 200 firefighters and emergency personnel, along with 50 trucks, were deployed Tuesday to battle the blaze that sent thick black smoke billowing into the evening sky.
Despite the massive fire, governor Beshear said nearby structures, including a convention center, a restaurant, and a Ford Motor Co plant, were not damaged.
Independent Pilots Association President Captain Bob Travis said all three pilots aboard the plane were on duty at the time of the crash. The union, which represents about 3,300 UPS pilots, is participating in the NTSB-led investigation, Travis said in an interview, as cited by Reuters.
Flight records indicate that the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, built in 1991, underwent maintenance while grounded in San Antonio for over a month until mid-October. The nature of the work carried out remains unclear, as reported by AP.
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