A new video released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday unveils a dramatic incident involving a UPS cargo plane that crashed during takeoff last year in Louisville, tragically claiming 15 lives. The NTSB also disclosed that the crew onboard the ill-fated flight had been switched to the aircraft after their initial plane was grounded.
The footage, obtained from an airport surveillance camera, captures the moment an engine detaches from the plane, engulfed in flames, as the aircraft speeds along the runway.
On November 4, 2025, UPS Flight 2976 was en route to Hawaii when it crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville International Airport, a major aviation hub for UPS. Reports and visuals from the incident highlighted the left engine breaking away from the aircraft during takeoff.
The crash involved a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F and resulted in the deaths of all three pilots onboard, along with 12 individuals on the ground, as the plane collided with a nearby business complex. The incident also left nearly two dozen people injured.
During the initial day of a two-day hearing in Washington, D.C., NTSB investigators revealed that the crew had been reassigned to the MD-11F aircraft after their original plane, another MD-11, was sidelined due to mechanical issues.
The NTSB further explained that the initial aircraft was withdrawn from service after a fuel leak was identified and reported to the maintenance team.
The crash of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F killed all three pilots aboard the plane and 12 more people on the ground when the jet slammed into a nearby business complex. Nearly two dozen more people were injured.
During the first day of a two-day hearing in Washington, D.C., NTSB investigators revealed that the flight crew had been reassigned to the MD-11F after their original plane, also an MD-11, was taken out of service.
The original plane was taken out of service when a fuel leak was discovered and reported to maintenance, the NTSB disclosed.
The NTSB previously reported there was evidence of cracks in the left wing’s engine mount. The NTSB said Tuesday that metal fatigue caused the failure of a component attaching the engine to the wing.
An NTSB investigator also disclosed during the hearing that UPS did not take additional action after reviewing a 2011 notice from Boeing that flagged structural failures on the MD-11.
UPS has said the notification did not require action.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the MD-11 after the November crash, and UPS has since retired them from its fleet.
“Our focus remains on supporting the investigation and honoring those affected by this tragedy,” UPS said in a statement Tuesday.
Meanwhile, even though the NTSB investigation is ongoing, FedEx has started returning MD-11 aircraft to service after they undergo repairs recommended by Boeing and approved by the FAA.
