NTSB Releases Dramatic New Images Showing Engine Separation in Deadly UPS Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board has released striking new frame-by-frame images capturing the moment the left engine separated from UPS Flight 2976 during its November crash in Louisville. The sequence of photos shows the engine dislodging, vaulting up and over the wing, and erupting into a fireball just seconds after the cargo jet left the ground.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, a 34-year-old aircraft in the process of being phased out by UPS, managed to climb no higher than 30 feet before rolling left and crashing between a petroleum recycling facility and a UPS warehouse. Three pilots and 11 people on the ground were killed, leaving a half-mile debris path and a plume of smoke visible across the city.

According to the preliminary findings, investigators recovered mounting hardware from the runway showing fatigue cracks and signs of over-stress. The components, known as lugs, are central to securing the engine pylon to the wing. Their failure appears to have contributed to the in-flight separation witnessed in the newly released images.

The report also confirms that the cockpit voice recorder contained more than two hours of usable audio, while the flight data recorder held information from 24 prior flights, including the accident flight. Both the detached engine and its pylon have been secured for analysis.

The NTSB noted similarities to the 1979 crash of American Airlines Flight 191 in Chicago, where a left engine and pylon assembly separated during takeoff, causing the aircraft to roll and crash. That incident also involved a McDonnell Douglas-designed aircraft.

In response to the Louisville crash, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all MD-11 and MD-11F aircraft pending detailed inspections. UPS, which has 26 remaining MD-11s, says it is fully cooperating with investigators. Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas, issued a statement offering condolences and support.

The NTSB’s final report, expected within 18 to 24 months, will detail the probable cause and include recommendations aimed at preventing similar failures in the future.

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