LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A UPS cargo plane was nearly airborne when a bell sounded in the cockpit, signaling potential disaster. In the ensuing chaos of the next 25 seconds, the pilots struggled to control the aircraft as it lifted off the runway with a burning left wing and missing an engine, ultimately crashing with a fireball impact.
The crash occurred on Tuesday at the UPS Worldport, the company’s global aviation hub in Louisville, Kentucky, and resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals, including the three pilots aboard the MD-11 aircraft, which was en route to Honolulu.
According to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman, the cockpit voice recorder captured the alarming bell ringing about 37 seconds after the crew had initiated the takeoff. The significance of the bell remains undetermined, though it was noted that the left wing was on fire and the engine on that wing had detached.
“It occurred at a point in the takeoff where they were likely past their decision speed to abort the takeoff,” said Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator. He indicated that the pilots likely did not have enough time to safely return to the runway.
Investigators Explore Evidence
Video footage captured from various angles, including phones and security cameras, has provided vital evidence for investigators examining the crash. Preliminary analysis revealed the aircraft only reached an altitude of about 100 feet before the catastrophic failure, with a recorded speed of 210 mph at the time of the crash.
Meanwhile, the wreckage of the left engine and fan blade fragments have been recovered from the airfield. UPS indicated that no maintenance had been performed immediately preceding the fateful flight.
The Louisville Worldport is a massive facility, employing over 20,000 people, handling 300 flights each day, and sorting more than 400,000 packages an hour. Operations resumed the night following the crash for their Next Day Air service.
Legal Developments Following the Incident
In the wake of the tragedy, legal actions have commenced. A federal lawsuit was filed against UPS by a local automotive repair shop that was destroyed during the crash and a resident who required medical attention after inhaling smoke from the incident. The suit claims negligence on the part of UPS and the manufacturers of the plane and its engine, seeking unspecified damages.
As the NTSB continues its multifaceted investigation, a complete transcript of the cockpit recordings is expected to be available in the coming months.
