Families Sue UPS Over Fatal MD-11 Crash

Families of two women killed on the ground in the November 4 crash of a UPS cargo plane near Louisville, Kentucky, filed wrongful death lawsuits on December 3 against the company and several others, alleging negligence in the maintenance of an aging aircraft that suffered a catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F jet, operating as UPS Flight 2976 and bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, lost its left engine and pylon during ascent from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The aircraft then plummeted into an industrial district south of the runway, erupting in a fireball fueled by 38,000 gallons of jet fuel. The crash killed all three pilots aboard and 11 people on the ground, including 45-year-old Angela Anderson and 37-year-old Trinadette "Trina" Chavez, while injuring 23 others.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, released on November 20, identified fatigue cracks in the components linking the engine to the wing as a key factor in the detachment. The plane, which was 34 years old, had completed a six-week maintenance period ending October 18, addressing issues such as a crack in the center wing fuel tank...