The National Transportation Safety Board has released their preliminary report on the findings of the causes of the UPS crash on November 4 2025. The crash resulted in 14 deaths, with three crew members aboard the plane killed, and 11 on the ground fatally injured.
The domestic cargo flight 2976 was on route to HNL, Hawaii
Around 5:14pm EST, a Boeing McDonnel Douglas MD-11F took off from Louisville International Airport, Kentucky.
Shortly after takeoff from the runway, footage showed the aircraft’s left engine and its pylon separating from the wing. The report details how a fire ignited from the left engine as it travelled near the main body of the aircraft. A secondary fire then ignited near the area where the left pylon was shown attaching to the wing.
The aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder shows how Flight 2976 did not reach higher than 30 feet above ground
The Flight Data Recorder, which was recovered from the wreckage, revealed that Air Traffic Control reported the takeoff speed as standard, but witnessed the climb rate as being abnormal. Footage shows that the plane never climbed above the ATC tower’s height.
The surrounding area around the airport included a UPS Supply Chain Solutions Warehouse, which was impacted when the left landing gear hit the roof of the warehouse. The plane continued to impact a storage yard and a petroleum recycling facility, which was consumed by fire.
The total wreckage area from the crash consists of 3,000 feet South-East of the initial impact
NTSB points the most significant finding of the report to the left engine’s pylon. This pylon is attached to the wing via a forward mount and an aft mount, which includes a set of bolted-together fittings, known as lugs.
Upon investigation by the NTSB Materials Laboratory Examination, evidence showed fatigue cracks ‘in addition to areas of overstress failure’ on the aft lug.
UPS ground their MD-11 fleet as a precautionary measure
Following Boeing’s recommendation mere days after the tragic crash, the MD-11 and MD-11F fleet were grounded until inspections and safety checks were completed. The methods used to inspect the fleet include FAA approved Continued Operational Safety Branch (AIR-520). This method focuses on ensuring and checking the airworthiness and safety of aircrafts while in operation. These checks can identify fatigue cracks, and possible engine issues in order to avoid further incidents.
AIR-520 is a branch within the Federal Aviation Administration, they work alongside the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate accidents and the causes of incidents. They also are responsible for the repair and modifications to ensure safety of the aircraft. Once it is determined that the fleet is safe, Boeing will lift the grounding, and operations will continue as normal within the fleet.
UPS CEO Carol Tomé releases statement expressing sympathy to the victims families
The three crew members killed on board the plane were named as: Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond.
UPS’s statement sends a sincere message to the ‘entire UPS family’:
‘United, we are strong. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our colleagues, and to the loved ones of those in the Louisville community’.
A day after the crash, the air cargo hub in Kentucky reopened with a few delays to the global network.
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