UPS MD-11 Crash
UPS Airlines Flight 2976, operated by a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, crashed on November 4, 2025, shortly after takeoff from Louisville Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, en route to Honolulu, Hawaii. The incident occurred around 5:20 PM ET, resulting in at least 13 fatalities, including the three crew members, and marking the deadliest accident in UPS Airlines’ history. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, with preliminary reports indicating a fire erupted from the left wing during the takeoff roll, leading to the plane striking structures outside the airport perimeter. The aircraft departed Runway 17R en route to Honolulu. It climbed to approximately 175 feet at 184 knots before losing control and impacting an industrial area 1.2 miles off the departure end. All three crew members and nine people on the ground perished; two remain critically injured.
Video evidence shows flames from the left wing during the takeoff roll, followed by the complete separation of the #1 General Electric CF6-80C2D1F engine. The failure was uncontained: high-energy fragments penetrated the left wing fuel tank, ignited the fuel, and severed hydraulic and electrical lines. The aircraft yawed left under asymmetric thrust and stalled within 12 to 15 seconds of liftoff. The FDR and CVR were recovered intact; preliminary data confirm normal rotation at VR, followed by rapid loss of left-wing lift and hydraulic pressure.
Metallurgical analysis of the #1 CF6 will focus on the high-pressure compressor or turbine section. A stage-2 disk rupture—consistent with debris scatter up to 3,000 feet—suggests fatigue, manufacturing defect, or prior damage. The engine had no flagged discrepancies in recent records; however, a two-hour delay before departure warrants scrutiny of the run-up data and vibration trends.
The MD-11 pylon uses a three-point attachment with shear pins and fuse pins designed to fail predictably under overload. If maintenance improperly torqued or replaced fittings during a September 2025 fuel-tank repair, progressive cracking could have initiated separation under takeoff thrust. Boeing Service Bulletin MD11-54-009 addresses pylon fatigue; compliance will be verified.
Fragment penetration of the wing integral tank (center and left main) released thousands of gallons of Jet A. The MD-11 lacks fuel inerting on cargo conversions; rapid ignition and hydraulic loss disabled flight controls within seconds. It also appears that the explosion of the #1 engine threw fragments into the center of the #2 engine, causing it to compressor stall and lose thrust.
According to the QRH, an engine fire/failure after V1 requires continued takeoff, completion of memory items (throttle idle, fuel cutoff, and fire handle pull); however, the failure of the second engine at high gross takeoff weight makes a continued climb virtually impossible. The crew had less than 10 seconds before control loss—insufficient for complete checklist execution. Even if they did everything perfectly, their fate was likely sealed when the second engine lost thrust. I’ve flown this scenario, double engine failure after take-off, in the MD-11 simulator, and getting the airplane back on the ground is almost impossible, even at lighter takeoff weights and without the catastrophic explosion that the ill-fated UPS crew experienced.
The legal ramifications of strict liability apply to crew fatalities under the Montreal Convention (SDR 128,821 per passenger). This means victims do not need to prove negligence for proven damages up to approximately US$175,000 as of recent values. Liability attaches automatically upon proving that the accident caused the injury or death. For damages exceeding this limit, the airline can avoid or limit further liability only by establishing that the injury was not due to its negligence or other wrongful act/omission, or that a third party solely caused it. Victim claims fall under Kentucky tort law; UPS may face exposure for failure to warn or mitigate runway-end hazards (e.g., industrial siting near SDF). Discovery will target GMP compliance, training records, and OpSpecs authorizations. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is highly relevant to the aviation industry. GMP standards ensure the quality and safety of manufactured components, such as aircraft parts, engines, and systems.
GE may face product liability if a design or material defect caused the disk burst. Boeing’s liability hinges on pylon maintenance instructions; post-merger indemnity clauses with McDonnell Douglas will be litigated.
The FAA may issue an Emergency AD grounding MD-11s pending pylon and CF6 inspections. Insurance subrogation claims are expected to exceed $200 million, encompassing hull loss, cargo, and third-party damages. The FAA issued Emergency AD 2025-23-51, mandating eddy-current inspection of all CF6-80C2 stage-2 disks within 50 flight hours and ultrasonic inspection of pylon fuse pins within 10 days. November 8, 2025, UPS (26 MD-11F) and FedEx (28 MD-11F) voluntarily grounded their combined fleets following a Boeing recommendation. UPS has accelerated the retirement of its MD-11s to the third quarter of 2026. NTSB’s final report—expected in 12–18 months—will determine probable cause. Until then, fleet-wide inspections of CF6 stage 2 disks and pylon attachment points are underway, as per FAA directive.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available from the ongoing NTSB investigation.
