BREAKING: UPS cargo plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, crashes near Louisville International Airport in Kentucky

[MelmothTheLost]

Thankfully, most bar and grills experience are slower at that time ( lunch customers have left, evening / dinner customers have not arrived yet).

And now, sadly a "but" at a bad time....

@Love Never Fails has pointed out that UPS is based in Louisville. It is likely a large shipping hub. This brings in the distinct possibility of a lot of people working shift work. And, UPS evidently has unusual shifts.

Going back to the number of possible bar patrons.... Large numbers of people on shift work can turn the normal customer flow on its head because people have varied days off besides the weekends and shift work means that people have different times for fun.

For example, we start at 0530, so for us, late afternoon is really evening at time for a dinner at a bar and grill. Tuesday is my Friday night. Or, I work the grave yard shift and sleep late. Late afternoon is lunch time for me.

Very helpful - thanks. I was thinking that had the bar been situated in a more residential area rather than an industrial one, there might have been a lot of families and young kids having dinner there at that time of the day.

 

[Chimera]

UPS plane crash death toll rises to NINE as expert points out issue

As the death toll climbed again on Wednesday morning, former Department of Transportation inspector General Mary Schiavo pointed out an issue with the jet's engine.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Debris area; and the second pic. is the engine that apparently fell off before the crash ?

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/ups-plane-crash-louisville-airport.html

A plane engine found lying on the ground will help investigators determine what may have caused a UPS cargo flight to crash and ignite a fireball, a CNN aviation analyst said.

“That’s a huge clue and does give the (National Transportation Safety Board) a pretty good idea of what started this all off,” said Mary Schiavo, former Department of Transportation inspector general.

“The fact that that engine came off of the plane before the final impact and fireball” suggests an “uncontained engine failure, meaning the engine spews out parts,” Schiavo said.
“They expel from that engine, and the centrifugal force from the engines, the blades spinning, and they can cut through the plane and cut fuel lines,” Schiavo said.

“The engines are attached with pylons, with structures that hold it on,” she said. “But something caused that to detach.”
Rbm.
Hmmm.
Faulty maintenance ?
Older or faulty lug nuts/parts ?
Was any maintenance done prior to the crash sped up, and thus -- there was not enough time for safety checks ?
Thinking out loud, and still believe this was a terrible accident all around.

Hoping for the families' sake they will be able to pinpoint the cause and prevent the next tragedy from happening.
People who have lost loved ones need to know the truth.
May all of the deceased rest in peace.
Omo.

 

[crhedBngr]

NYTimes shared article.

Emergency Workers Search Scene of Deadly UPS Crash in Louisville

 

[meanmaryjean]

UPS plane crash death toll rises to NINE as expert points out issue

As the death toll climbed again on Wednesday morning, former Department of Transportation inspector General Mary Schiavo pointed out an issue with the jet's engine.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Debris area; and the second pic. is the engine that apparently fell off before the crash ?

View attachment 623484


View attachment 623485

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/ups-plane-crash-louisville-airport.html

A plane engine found lying on the ground will help investigators determine what may have caused a UPS cargo flight to crash and ignite a fireball, a CNN aviation analyst said.

“That’s a huge clue and does give the (National Transportation Safety Board) a pretty good idea of what started this all off,” said Mary Schiavo, former Department of Transportation inspector general.

“The fact that that engine came off of the plane before the final impact and fireball” suggests an “uncontained engine failure, meaning the engine spews out parts,” Schiavo said.
“They expel from that engine, and the centrifugal force from the engines, the blades spinning, and they can cut through the plane and cut fuel lines,” Schiavo said.

“The engines are attached with pylons, with structures that hold it on,” she said. “But something caused that to detach.”
Rbm.
Hmmm.
Faulty maintenance ?
Older or faulty lug nuts/parts ?
Was any maintenance done prior to the crash sped up, and thus -- there was not enough time for safety checks ?
Thinking out loud, and still believe this was a terrible accident all around.

Hoping for the families' sake they will be able to pinpoint the cause and prevent the next tragedy from happening.
People who have lost loved ones need to know the truth.
May all of the deceased rest in peace.
Omo.

My daughter is an FAA-licensed Airframe and Powerplant mechanic/ inspector. UPS is known for its meticulous maintenance. They have an outstanding crew. HOWEVER, the age of this plane is concerning, and all it takes is a faulty (the fault invisible to the naked eye) bolt or screw to bring an aircraft down.

 

[Chimera]

My daughter is an FAA-licensed Airframe and Powerplant mechanic/ inspector. UPS is known for its meticulous maintenance. They have an outstanding crew. HOWEVER, the age of this plane is concerning, and all it takes is a faulty (the fault invisible to the naked eye) bolt or screw to bring an aircraft down.

Yes, thought I'd read earlier the plane may be over thirty years old ?
Parts wear out.
This is all so sad.

 

[IceIce9]

Yes, thought I'd read earlier the plane may be over thirty years old ?
Parts wear out.
This is all so sad.

Airbus A300, McDonnell Douglas MD-10, and MD-11 remain in service with cargo operators even though they disappeared from passenger service years ago. Some commercial airlines, including Delta Air Lines, still fly older 757s and 767s over three decades old, but cargo operators like FedEx Express and UPS Airlines operate even older fleets, with some aircraft surpassing 40 years of age

FedEx Vs. UPS: Which Carrier Has The Oldest Fleet?

Overall, UPS operates the older fleet.

simpleflying.com

The passenger airline that has the oldest planes is United.

United Airlines' more than 950 planes have the highest median age of any airline fleet, 19.4 years. That includes more than 200 planes that have been in operation for at least 25 years.

The Airlines With the Oldest and Newest Planes

FinanceBuzz collected data on every single plane in the fleets of major U.S.-based airlines to see which companies have the oldest and newest planes.

financebuzz.com

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Do we know which company manufactured the engines that were on this plane? Apologies if this was mentioned in one of the linked articles - those of us in Europe can't always access US media sources.

 

[Cryptic]

Do we know which company manufactured the engines that were on this plane? Apologies if this was mentioned in one of the linked articles - those of us in Europe can't always access US media sources.

That might be hard due to the age of the plane and the real possibility of the engines being changed out over time.It looks like initial customers could pick between three different engines made by three different manufacturers (2 US, 1 UK).

Avionics and software upgrades to the plane in the following decades might have led to additional engine choices for consideration. Fuel efficiency gains from modern engine designs are always a top priority for companies.

 

[sds71]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — UPS cargo plane's left wing caught fire and engine fell off just before fiery crash on takeoff in Kentucky, NTSB says.

@lookner
11 now dead in Louisville UPS plane crash, number could still rise

https://twitter.com/x/status/1986164356443210118

https://twitter.com/x/status/1986178076712079864

 

[sds71]

Do we know which company manufactured the engines that were on this plane? Apologies if this was mentioned in one of the linked articles - those of us in Europe can't always access US media sources.

General Electric

 

[Love Never Fails]

Thankfully, most bar and grills experience are slower at that time ( lunch customers have left, evening / dinner customers have not arrived yet).

And now, sadly a "but" at a bad time....

@Love Never Fails has pointed out that UPS is based in Louisville. It is likely a large shipping hub. This brings in the distinct possibility of a lot of people working shift work. And, UPS evidently has unusual shifts. Going back to the number of bar patrons....

Large numbers of people on shift work in a "factory town" can turn the normal customer flow on its head because people have varied days off besides the weekends and shift work means that people have different times for fun.

For example: We start at 0530, so for us, late afternoon is really evening for me and time for a dinner at a bar and grill. Tuesday is actually my Saturday. Or- I work the grave yard shift and sleep late. Late afternoon is early lunch time for me.

Yes, many shifts. Even just across the Ohio river (indiana side) there’s a huge hub for Amazon and a whole industrial complex with so many shift workers that are from Louisville. No bars/grills are built there as yet but I am sure the workers frequent the Louisville bars and grills while driving home. i was concerned with all the traffic on I-65 and on Crittendon Drive. I think just the immediate smoke plume frightened drivers.
I hate plane crashes with a lot of people onboard. But even this one is awful. UPS pilots respect safety. I think our country’s infrastructure is in poor shape. Planes, railroads, highways. It’s all sad.

Eleven now confirmed dead.

 

[IceIce9]

Updated to 11 dead including one child.



The coroner is on scene and will be the source of identifying individuals. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he expects the number of deaths to reach 12 by the end of the day and said they believe one child is among the dead.

At least 11 dead, 15 injured after UPS plane crash in Louisville

A UPS plane exploded on the runway during takeoff at the Louisville Airport, causing a fiery scene, leaving at least 11 people dead, 15 injured and a handful still unaccounted for.

www.wlwt.com

 

[PrairieWind]

"We have viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll,” NTSB member Todd Inman said."

UPS plane wing caught fire, engine detached before deadly crash near Louisville airport, NTSB says

Search and rescue efforts continued on Wednesday after a UPS cargo plane crashed in Kentucky on Tuesday.

www.yahoo.com

This video has apparently not yet been released to the public.

 

[PrairieWind]

Seems to be a lot of similarities to United flight 191 in 1979. The cause may likely be very different, but the images and result are so similar. But of course with FAR less loss of life.

 

[arielilane]

A lot of info at link.


Fatalities now at 12, one of whom is a young child. Officials expect that number to increase. Fifteen hurt and 16 unaccounted for.

At least 12 killed by UPS plane crash in Louisville, including a child

Breaking news: Officials are responding to reports of a plane crash near UPS Worldport.

www.wlky.com

Nov. 5, 2025


The plane is an MD-11, 34 years old built in the early 90s.

 

[Chimera]

"We have viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll,” NTSB member Todd Inman said."

UPS plane wing caught fire, engine detached before deadly crash near Louisville airport, NTSB says

Search and rescue efforts continued on Wednesday after a UPS cargo plane crashed in Kentucky on Tuesday.

www.yahoo.com

This video has apparently not yet been released to the public.

Question : What if it was faulty maintenance, because for the engine to detach it seems like a catastrophic failure somewhere ?
Even if there were experienced people working on the engine before it took off (we haven't heard yet if there was any maintenance before so theorizing here); what if there was a newer employee and they made a mistake.
Again there's also a question of a faulty part that may have caused the separation.

Hope the families can get all of the answers they need, they deserve to know the truth and hopefully this won't happen again.

Seems to be a lot of similarities to United flight 191 in 1979. The cause may likely be very different, but the images and result are so similar. But of course with FAR less loss of life.

Did they find out what caused the crash of United flight 191 ?
Imo.

 

[Ashleym324]

This happened 5 miles from my house and across the street from my husband’s workplace.

 

[Charlot123]

Yes, many shifts. Even just across the Ohio river (indiana side) there’s a huge hub for Amazon and a whole industrial complex with so many shift workers that are from Louisville. No bars/grills are built there as yet but I am sure the workers frequent the Louisville bars and grills while driving home. i was concerned with all the traffic on I-65 and on Crittendon Drive. I think just the immediate smoke plume frightened drivers.
I hate plane crashes with a lot of people onboard. But even this one is awful. UPS pilots respect safety. I think our country’s infrastructure is in poor shape. Planes, railroads, highways. It’s all sad.

Eleven now confirmed dead.

When my son said yesterday, a UPS plane crashed, my first thought was, oh, probably there were not too many people on board. But by the evening, looking at the map, I realized how heavily industrialized the area was - rails, storages. In a way, it resembles a port more than a passenger terminal. Small wonder that an air disaster transferred into a land one.

It is a huge country that didn't develop according to a plan (you see it in many large countries that grew by expanding). So the infrastructure is not bad, it is merely not too planned.

RIP the victims. I hope all will be accounted for.

 

[IceIce9]

Question : What if it was faulty maintenance, because for the engine to detach it seems like a catastrophic failure somewhere ?
Even if there were experienced people working on the engine before it took off (we haven't heard yet if there was any maintenance before so theorizing here); what if there was a newer employee and they made a mistake.
Again there's also a question of a faulty part that may have caused the separation.

Hope the families can get all of the answers they need, they deserve to know the truth and hopefully this won't happen again.


Did they find out what caused the crash of United flight 191 ?
Imo.

United 191 cause of crash was improper maintenance. They used a forklift to install an engine, causing damage to the mounting structure and the engine fell off.

 

[IceIce9]

When my son said yesterday, a UPS plane crashed, my first thought was, oh, probably there were not too many people on board. But by the evening, looking at the map, I realized how heavily industrialized the area was - rails, storages. In a way, it resembles a port more than a passenger terminal. Small wonder that an air disaster transferred into a land one.

It is a huge country that didn't develop according to a plan (you see it in many large countries that grew by expanding). So the infrastructure is not bad, it is merely not too planned.

RIP the victims. I hope all will be accounted for.

I travel for work, and fly into many different airports. Many major airports are surrounded closely by housing additions, some are so close that I don't know how the residents can stand the noise.