Hearings Open on Deadly UPS Cargo Plane Crash
Federal safety investigators commenced hearings Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to examine the causes of a UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, that killed 15 people in November 2022.
The MD-11 aircraft suffered an engine separation during takeoff at Muhammad Ali International Airport, leading to the deaths of three pilots and injuring 12 others on the ground. Authorities confirmed the plane crashed into multiple businesses, resulting in a large fireball.
“This is about your loved ones. We want to understand what happened,” Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), stated during her opening remarks.
The two-day hearings will involve discussions among NTSB members, investigators, and representatives from Boeing and UPS. A final report from the NTSB is expected more than a year after the incident, as it will assess various contributing factors.
Following the accident, the NTSB has released over 2,000 pages of documents indicating that the ill-fated aircraft was put into service after another plane experienced a fuel leak. Investigators observed cracks in engine mount parts that went undetected in regular maintenance.
In response to safety concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved a plan to replace the spherical bearings on active MD-11 planes and increase inspections. While some companies have resumed using MD-11s, UPS announced plans to retire its fleet of these aircraft.
The inquiry is significant given similar past failures involving other models, emphasizing ongoing concerns regarding aircraft safety standards.