Read the full article on KETV 7
Federal investigators are getting ready to press for answers about the deadly UPS cargo plane crash. On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board opens a two-day hearing in Washington. Investigators will question UPS, Boeing, the FAA and others about maintenance reporting and possible safety failures.The MD-11 crashed just after takeoff from Louisville’s airport on Nov. 4. The crash killed 15 people, including all three crew members. A preliminary report showed the plane’s left engine and pylon separated from the wing.What happened in the crashThe UPS plane, which was headed for Hawaii loaded with packages and fuel, had barely left the ground and cleared the airport fence when it crashed into several nearby Louisville businesses and created a massive fireball.Dramatic photos the NTSB released after the crash showed the engine detaching and flying up and over the wing as flames erupted on the wing. The final images show the plane ablaze as it gets airborne, leaving behind trails of smoke.The crash was reminiscent of a 1979 crash in Chicago involving a DC-10, which was the predecessor of the trimotor jet that crashed in Louisville. The left engine also fell off in that crash that killed 273 people.That previous crash led to the worldwide grounding of 274 DC-10s. The airliner returned to the skies because the NTSB determined that maintenance workers damaged the plane that crashed while improperly using a forklift to reattach the engine. That meant the crash wasn’t caused by a fatal design flaw even though there had already been a number of accidents involving DC-10s.But even at that point the plane’s manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas, raised concerns about the spherical bearing that helps hold the engines to the wings. McDonnell Douglas later merged with Boeing.Past problems with these planesThe NTSB said shortly after the Louisville crash that investigators had found cracks in some of the parts that held the engine to the wing. Those cracks hadn’t been caught in regular maintenance done on the plane, which raised questions about the adequacy of the maintenance schedule. The last time those key engine mount parts were examined closely was in October 2021, and the plane wasn’t due for another detailed inspection for roughly 7,000 more takeoffs and landings.Boeing had documented in 2011 there were four previous failures of a part that helps secure the MD-11’s engines to the wings on three different planes, but at that point the plane manufacturer “determined it would not result in a safety of flight condition.”The service bulletin that Boeing issued didn’t require plane owners to make repairs like an FAA airworthiness directive would, and the agency didn’t issue such a directive. At that point, Boeing just recommended replacing the bearings with a redesigned part that was less likely to fail.MD-11 planes flying againSome MD-11s, a workhorse of the cargo fleet, are now back in the air after the FAA approved Boeing’s plan to replace the spherical bearing on each aircraft and increase inspections.FedEx resumed using the planes to deliver packages on May 10, but UPS has said it plans to retire its fleet of MD-11s. Western Global also uses MD-11s but hasn’t said what it plans to do with the planes.Some experts speculated after the crash that the MD-11s might never fly again if the repair proved to be more expensive that it was worth in these older planes. But Boeing found a way to address the safety concerns with just replacing the bearing and stepping up inspections.
Federal investigators are getting ready to press for answers about the deadly UPS cargo plane crash.
On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board opens a two-day hearing in Washington. Investigators will question UPS, Boeing, the FAA and others about maintenance reporting and possible safety failures.
Advertisement
The MD-11 crashed just after takeoff from Louisville’s airport on Nov. 4.
The crash killed 15 people, including all three crew members.
A preliminary report showed the plane’s left engine and pylon separated from the wing.
What happened in the crash
The UPS plane, which was headed for Hawaii loaded with packages and fuel, had barely left the ground and cleared the airport fence when it crashed into several nearby Louisville businesses and created a massive fireball.
Dramatic photos the NTSB released after the crash showed the engine detaching and flying up and over the wing as flames erupted on the wing. The final images show the plane ablaze as it gets airborne, leaving behind trails of smoke.
The crash was reminiscent of a 1979 crash in Chicago involving a DC-10, which was the predecessor of the trimotor jet that crashed in Louisville. The left engine also fell off in that crash that killed 273 people.
That previous crash led to the worldwide grounding of 274 DC-10s. The airliner returned to the skies because the NTSB determined that maintenance workers damaged the plane that crashed while improperly using a forklift to reattach the engine. That meant the crash wasn’t caused by a fatal design flaw even though there had already been a number of accidents involving DC-10s.
But even at that point the plane’s manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas, raised concerns about the spherical bearing that helps hold the engines to the wings. McDonnell Douglas later merged with Boeing.
Past problems with these planes
The NTSB said shortly after the Louisville crash that investigators had found cracks in some of the parts that held the engine to the wing. Those cracks hadn’t been caught in regular maintenance done on the plane, which raised questions about the adequacy of the maintenance schedule. The last time those key engine mount parts were examined closely was in October 2021, and the plane wasn’t due for another detailed inspection for roughly 7,000 more takeoffs and landings.
Boeing had documented in 2011 there were four previous failures of a part that helps secure the MD-11’s engines to the wings on three different planes, but at that point the plane manufacturer “determined it would not result in a safety of flight condition.”
The service bulletin that Boeing issued didn’t require plane owners to make repairs like an FAA airworthiness directive would, and the agency didn’t issue such a directive. At that point, Boeing just recommended replacing the bearings with a redesigned part that was less likely to fail.
MD-11 planes flying again
Some MD-11s, a workhorse of the cargo fleet, are now back in the air after the FAA approved Boeing’s plan to replace the spherical bearing on each aircraft and increase inspections.
FedEx resumed using the planes to deliver packages on May 10, but UPS has said it plans to retire its fleet of MD-11s. Western Global also uses MD-11s but hasn’t said what it plans to do with the planes.
Some experts speculated after the crash that the MD-11s might never fly again if the repair proved to be more expensive that it was worth in these older planes. But Boeing found a way to address the safety concerns with just replacing the bearing and stepping up inspections.
