Tragic Plane Crash at Louisville Airport

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently shared images from a devastating plane crash that happened on November 5 at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. One of the images captures the moment when the engine of a UPS cargo plane failed and erupted into flames shortly after takeoff.

According to the NTSB’s preliminary report, surveillance footage from the airport showed the left engine and pylon detach from the wing right after the plane began to spin, followed by a fire starting in the left engine area.

The report details how the engine fell to the ground, igniting a fire near the left wing’s pylon, which persisted until the plane crashed into a nearby storage yard and two other structures. The MD-11 aircraft features three engines—two on the wings and one at the tail—secured by pylons with mounts connecting them to the wings.

During the incident, both support arms broke, causing damage to the rear mount of the left pylon and the separation of the engine itself. Investigators later discovered that the initial damage stemmed from an internal crack that gradually extended until the metal ultimately failed.

Additional inspection revealed small cracks around the bolt holes of the mount, which were deemed to have failed under routine stress conditions.

Black box data indicated that the plane reached only about 30 feet in altitude before crashing, resulting in the deaths of 14 individuals, including the three pilots, and injuring 23 others.

The NTSB report also referenced a similar incident from May 25, 1979, when American Airlines Flight 191 crashed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport due to engine and pylon separation, leading to a tragic loss of control.

Just two days after the November 5 incident, UPS grounded all MD-11 aircraft. Following this, the FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive grounding all MD-11 and MD-11F planes until inspections could be conducted.