Dramatic Photos of UPS Plane Crash Show Engine Detaching in Mid-Air, Investigators Say Crack in Wing Mount Was Key to Disaster
Federal investigators have released dramatic photos showing the moment when a US Airlines MD-11 cargo plane disintegrated in mid-air just 30 feet off the ground, killing all 14 people on board and 3 more on the ground near Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report states that cracks were found in the engine mount of the left wing, raising questions about whether these issues should have been addressed before the plane took off. The plane was due for a routine inspection of key engine mount parts with fractures but still had nearly 7,000 takeoffs and landings to complete.
The shocking images show an engine flying off the plane's left wing and soaring up and over it before coming back down in flames, engulfing the aircraft in a blaze. The last photo captures the plane slightly airborne with its left wing ablaze.
"This is a devastating tragedy that was preventable," said aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti. "UPS had been maintaining this maintenance within the required time frame, but I'm sure the FAA will now be pondering whether that time frame is adequate."
The NTSB has confirmed that evidence including the plane's black boxes have been recovered from the crash site.
The National Transportation Safety Board will likely focus on determining the root cause of the disaster and developing an inspection plan to repair or replace damaged engine mount parts. Once these repairs are completed, the fleet can return to service.
US Airlines President Bill Moore said that his company is working closely with investigators to identify the cause of the crash.
The victims of the disaster include a young child, who was a passenger on the flight and had been traveling with her best friend's family for the holidays. Three employees from Grade A Auto, one of the businesses hit by the crash, were also among those killed.
Federal investigators have released dramatic photos showing the moment when a US Airlines MD-11 cargo plane disintegrated in mid-air just 30 feet off the ground, killing all 14 people on board and 3 more on the ground near Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report states that cracks were found in the engine mount of the left wing, raising questions about whether these issues should have been addressed before the plane took off. The plane was due for a routine inspection of key engine mount parts with fractures but still had nearly 7,000 takeoffs and landings to complete.
The shocking images show an engine flying off the plane's left wing and soaring up and over it before coming back down in flames, engulfing the aircraft in a blaze. The last photo captures the plane slightly airborne with its left wing ablaze.
"This is a devastating tragedy that was preventable," said aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti. "UPS had been maintaining this maintenance within the required time frame, but I'm sure the FAA will now be pondering whether that time frame is adequate."
The NTSB has confirmed that evidence including the plane's black boxes have been recovered from the crash site.
The National Transportation Safety Board will likely focus on determining the root cause of the disaster and developing an inspection plan to repair or replace damaged engine mount parts. Once these repairs are completed, the fleet can return to service.
US Airlines President Bill Moore said that his company is working closely with investigators to identify the cause of the crash.
The victims of the disaster include a young child, who was a passenger on the flight and had been traveling with her best friend's family for the holidays. Three employees from Grade A Auto, one of the businesses hit by the crash, were also among those killed.
... I mean, it's just crazy to think about a plane disintegrating in mid-air because of some engine mount cracks. Like, what's the deal with that? How many times did they have to tell UPS to fix those issues before someone listened? 7,000 takeoffs and landings is a whole lotta neglect 
... And now people are dead 
... can't even find any info on if the plane had gone through the required inspection in time or not, just "maintenance within the required time frame"... what does that even mean? Need some sources here, pls!
I mean, what's the deal with these planes? 14 people dead, that's just crazy 
. So, cracks in the wing mount and engine mount, big whoop, shouldn't have been an issue... I guess? 
. At least they got the black boxes out, that's a plus... or is it? 
Anyway, hope these investigations come up with some solid answers and not just a bunch of "it was an accident" nonsense 
.
like whoa. and to think a young kid was on board too 
my heart goes out to their family and friends.
and it's also super worrying that this disaster could have been prevented if only those cracks were addressed sooner 
. anyway, fingers crossed the NTSB gets to the bottom of this and makes sure it never happens again 
... 14 lives lost & what really blows my mind is that the plane had like a gazillion takeoffs & landings left to do before they even addressed these cracks in the wing mount 
... how did they not see that coming? 
I mean, yeah, maybe the FAA will re-evaluate their maintenance schedule but for now, it's just heartbreaking 
my heart goes out to the families of the victims esp the little kid who was traveling with her friends for holidays 
they were just going about their day when tragedy struck 
. And what's up with the wing mount cracks? Did UPS just decide to be all "we're good" with that? 
I'm shaking my head over here... all those lives lost, and I'm just thinking about how they should've checked that thing before sending it off into the wild blue yonder 
.
but clearly didnt wanna delay the plane or lose revenue 
now its gonna be all about who's accountable for this disaster 
Oh man... this is just devastating! How could this have happened?! They knew there was a crack in that wing mount and still took off. It's like they were playing with fire 
. And what's with all these takeoffs and landings to do before the inspection? Shouldn't safety come first?! 
The images are haunting, I don't know how anyone can watch those and not feel sick to their stomach. A young child was killed... it's just not right 
rest in peace to everyone who was on that plane 
, and now this happens. 1 in every 11 million flight hours results in a fatal accident according to the FAA 
. that's just crazy!