According to newly examined surveillance recordings, investigators have determined that the United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo aircraft involved in the fatal crash near Louisville experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure moments before leaving the ground. A member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) disclosed that the jet’s left engine became detached from the wing just prior to liftoff—a detail captured clearly by airport security cameras. Such footage, meticulously reviewed by the agency, depicts the precise instant during the plane’s acceleration down the runway—a phase known as the takeoff roll—when the engine separated, a failure that likely proved fatal to the flight’s success.
During a Wednesday press conference, NTSB board member J. Todd Inman elaborated that the agency had obtained multiple closed-circuit video recordings showing the left engine breaking away from the aircraft’s structure at a critical moment of flight preparation. The term “takeoff roll,” he emphasized, refers to the ground distance an aircraft covers while accelerating to the velocity required for liftoff, making this stage one of the most crucial—and most vulnerable—periods in aviation operations. Inman added that these videos, together with other forms of physical evidence collected at the crash site, represent essential tools for investigators striving to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the disaster.
The aircraft involved was a 34‑year‑old widebody jet originally built by McDonnell Douglas, the manufacturer that later merged with Boeing Company in 1997. The plane, identified by its tail number N259UP, had initially entered service with Thai Airways in 1991 before being transferred to UPS in 2006 for use in long‑haul freight operations. On the evening of the accident, the jet had been scheduled to depart Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on a routine cargo flight bound for Honolulu when tragedy struck almost immediately after the takeoff attempt.
Footage circulating on social media, shared by Reuters, showed the enormous cargo aircraft banking sharply to the left in its final moments before crashing and erupting into flames, creating a fireball visible from considerable distance. Responding to the unfolding emergency, Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill reported that the aircraft had been carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of aviation fuel—an amount that significantly intensified the post‑impact blaze and complicated response efforts.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear issued a statement on social media platform X later that same evening, confirming that the crash had resulted in severe loss of life. At that time, the official death toll had reached at least eleven individuals, with authorities expecting the number to rise to twelve before the conclusion of the day.
In the immediate aftermath, the repercussions were felt far beyond the crash site. UPS temporarily suspended all package sorting operations at its massive Worldport facility—one of the most advanced automated logistics centers in the world—located adjacent to the Louisville airport. In an updated statement released Wednesday, the company announced the cancellation of all Second Day Air shipments originating from the site as investigators continued their work. Boeing, whose corporate lineage includes the original manufacturer of the aircraft, declined to issue an immediate comment when reached by reporters.
Industry data from aviation analytics firm Cirium indicate that approximately sixty MD‑11 aircraft of similar make and model remain operational worldwide, primarily serving major freight carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and Western Global Airlines. The MD‑11 type has been out of service for passenger transport since 2014, now existing solely as a cargo workhorse within global logistics fleets.
Tragically, this marks the second serious cargo‑airline accident within the same month. Only weeks earlier, on October 20, an Emirates SkyCargo jet overran a runway in Hong Kong, resulting in a crash that claimed two lives on the ground. Together, these incidents underscore the ongoing challenges and risks inherent to global freight aviation, reminding both regulators and carriers of the ever‑present need for vigilant oversight, stringent maintenance, and continuous advancement in flight safety technology.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-cargo-plane-crash-kentucky-left-engine-detached-2025-11
