NTSB Report Cites Known Engine Flaw in UPS Crash

A National Transportation Safety Board report released Wednesday revealed that a known structural flaw in a UPS cargo plane's engine mount, previously identified by Boeing in 2011, may have contributed to the aircraft's fatal crash in Louisville, Kentucky, last November, which killed 15 people.

The MD-11F freighter, operated by United Parcel Service and bound for Honolulu, took off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on November 4, 2025. Shortly after liftoff, the left engine detached from the wing, igniting a fire that caused the plane to climb only about 30 feet before it plummeted into several industrial buildings on the airport's outskirts, including a petroleum recycling facility. The crash produced a massive fireball and plume of smoke visible for miles. Three crew members aboard perished, along with 12 people on the ground; one additional ground victim died from injuries sustained in the incident.

Investigators determined that a critical component, known as the spherical bearing race in the engine's mounting assembly, had fractured into two pieces, with surrounding lugs showing fatigue cracks and overstress failure. The NTSB noted that this part had failed...