A disturbing piece of surveillance footage has emerged showing the exact moment the left engine of UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, seconds before the aircraft erupted into flames and crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on November 4, 2025. The MD-11F, registered N259UP, was destroyed on impact after departing runway 17R. The crash killed 14 people—all three crew members on board and 11 people on the ground—and injured 23 others.
The newly released NTSB preliminary report sheds technical light on what caused the catastrophic structural failure seen in the video.
Aircraft Background: High Time, High Cycle Airframe
According to the NTSB, the aircraft had accumulated 92,992 flight hours and 21,043 cycles. These numbers place the aircraft among the highest-time MD-11s still in commercial cargo service, highlighting the importance of structural inspections on older widebodies. The 34-year-old aircraft was first delivered to Thai Airways International in 1991 before being converted to a cargo aircraft and delivered to UPS Airlines in 2006.
Critical Pylon Mount Failures Found
Investigators found that the left engine pylon’s aft mount had suffered significant structural damage.
Fractured Forward and Aft Lugs
Both the forward and aft lugs of the left pylon aft mount were fractured near their 2 o’clock (inboard) and 9 o’clock (outboard) positions in an aft-looking-forward frame of reference.
The separated portions of these lugs were later found adjacent to runway 17R, confirming the engine detached very early in the accident sequence—during the takeoff roll, just after rotation.
Wing Clevis and Bearing Damage
At the crash site, investigators located the left wing clevis, the aft mount spherical bearing, attachment hardware still connected, and a section of the left wing. The bolt and spherical bearing remained attached to the wing clevis, but the bearing’s outer race had fractured circumferentially, exposing the internal ball element.
Evidence of Fatigue Cracks Identified
After cleaning the fracture surfaces, metallurgical analysis revealed fatigue cracks on both the inboard and outboard sides of the aft lug, fatigue at the exact interface of the lug bore and forward face, and fatigue cracks in the forward lug’s inboard fracture surface. Areas of overstress failure were also found.
These findings indicate that the pylon mount was weakening over an extended period, rather than failing purely from sudden overload forces.
Inspection and Maintenance Timing Under Review
UPS maintenance records show:
- A 72-month visual inspection of the left pylon aft mount was last performed in October 2021.
- A 24-month / 4,800-hour lubrication task for pylon thrust links and spherical bearings was completed on October 18, 2025.
- A Special Detailed Inspection (SDI) of the left pylon aft mount lugs was not yet due until 29,200 cycles.
- The SDI for the left wing clevis support was scheduled at 28,000 cycles.
With the aircraft at 21,043 cycles, it was still within its maintenance window. However, the presence of fatigue cracking suggests inspection intervals may require reassessment for aging MD-11 fleets.
Fleet Grounding and FAA Emergency Directive
Following the early findings, UPS grounded its entire MD-11 fleet on November 7, 2025, acting on recommendations from Boeing. FedEx and Western Global Airlines also grounded their MD-11 fleets.
On November 8, 2025, the FAA issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2025-23-51 (later superseded by AD 2025-23-53). This AD prohibited further flight of all MD-11 and MD-11F aircraft, required immediate inspections, and mandated corrective actions approved by the FAA. On November 14, the FAA extended the grounding to include DC-10 aircraft, the MD-11’s predecessor.
This grounding marks one of the most significant airworthiness interventions for the MD-11 since its introduction. The NTSB explicitly cited the similarity to the 1979 crash of American Airlines Flight 191 in Chicago, where a DC-10 also lost its left engine and pylon during takeoff rotation.
What Happens Next?
The NTSB will continue metallurgical analysis, fracture propagation studies, review of surveillance footage, examination of engine-pylon load transfer paths, and evaluation of Boeing’s design specifications and maintenance intervals.
A final report is expected in 18–24 months.
Conclusion
The preliminary findings indicate that fatigue cracking in the left engine pylon mount played a critical role in the catastrophic separation of the engine on UPS Flight 2976. The incident has triggered urgent global inspections of the MD-11 and DC-10 fleets and a renewed focus on structural integrity in aging cargo aircraft.
As more evidence emerges, the industry will be watching closely to understand how such a dramatic structural failure occurred—and how to prevent anything like it from ever happening again.
Victims: The crash killed Captain Richard Wartenberg (57), First Officer Lee Truitt (45), and Relief Officer Dana Diamond (62), along with 11 people on the ground, including a 3-year-old child. Twenty-three others sustained injuries ranging from burns to blast wounds.
By Aeropeep Team
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