A UPS cargo plane crashed during take-off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday evening, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 individuals and injuries to over a dozen others. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation into the incident.
UPS Flight 2976, an MD-11 cargo jet, was departing on a 4,300-mile journey to Honolulu, Hawaii. Data from FlightRadar24 indicates the aircraft began taxiing along runway 17R at approximately 17:15 local time (22:15 GMT) and achieved a speed of 214 mph (344 km/h). Verified footage indicates that a fire had engulfed the plane's left wing as it reached this speed. The NTSB confirmed that the left engine detached from the wing during the take-off attempt. The aircraft ascended to 175 feet, cleared a fence at the end of the runway, then veered into surrounding buildings before impacting the ground. A subsequent combustion event occurred approximately one minute into the flight path, leading to a substantial fire. The 38,000 gallons (144,000 litres) of fuel on board likely intensified the blaze.
Airport CCTV footage recovered by the NTSB shows the plane's left engine detaching from the wing during take-off. Investigators have also recovered the cockpit flight recorder and the flight data recorder (known as the black box) from the wreckage. Aviation experts consulted by BBC Verify suggested that a failure involving two of the aircraft's three engines may have contributed to the incident. The MD-11 aircraft is equipped with two engines mounted under the wings and a third integrated into the tail. Footage showed the left wing ablaze, causing the aircraft to tilt left as it attempted to gain altitude. Experts theorized that the left engine may have detached due to mechanical or structural failure, a scenario later confirmed by the NTSB regarding engine detachment. Images from the crash site show a charred engine on the grass adjacent to the runway. Terry Tozer, a retired airline pilot and aviation safety expert, described engine detachment in flight as an uncommon occurrence, referencing the 1979 American Airlines Flight 191 disaster. Mr. Tozer noted that while the cargo plane could theoretically operate with two engines, extensive fire damage to the left wing could have compromised the thrust of the tail-mounted engine. Marco Chan, a senior lecturer in aviation operations, observed footage suggesting the third engine expelled smoke and subsequently decreased thrust. This potential sequence would have left only the right engine producing thrust, creating an imbalance and hindering the aircraft's ability to maintain altitude, especially at maximum take-off weight.
Following the crash, local officials issued a shelter-in-place order and deployed hundreds of firefighters. The aircraft's impact resulted in debris being scattered across the runway and landing on the roofs of at least two local businesses. The fire spread to several buildings beyond the runway and continued for multiple hours.