Feds: Engine detached from UPS plane before crash at Louisville airport
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NTSB recovered the flight recorder and will investigate engine detachment.
- Video shows the left engine separated during takeoff
- Crash killed at least nine; debris strewn across more than half mile.
Federal transportation safety officials said Wednesday video shows an engine detached from a UPS cargo plane shortly before it crashed at Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, killing at least 12 people.
National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman said at a news conference in Louisville that officials will be on the ground for at least a week as it investigates the crash. Inman said the in flight recorder, known as a “black box,” has been retrieved and will be analyzed to help investigators determine the cause of the accident.
“After being cleared for takeoff, a large plume of fire in the area of the left wing occurred during the takeoff roll,” Inman said. “The plane lifted off and gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of runway 17 R. Shortly after clearing that fence, it made impact with structures and the terrain off of the airport property. A post impact fire ensued,” Inman said. “We have viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll. “
The crash happened around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, shortly after takeoff. Three of the nine people killed were UPS crew members, UPS and police officials have said. UPS Flight 2976 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii at the time of the crash, UPS said in a statement.
The names of the victims have not been released.
Kyler Collins, who said he works at Grade A Auto Parts, was home Tuesday when the plane crashed. The auto parts business is one of two located south of the airport that was directly impacted by the crash.
He said three of his fellow employees, including John Loucks, are still missing.
“John is a very special type of guy, he’d give you his shirt off his back. He’s always there for you when no one else is. Unfortunately he is missing after the plane crash,” Collins said.
Collins said the other two of his coworkers who are missing are women whose full names he did not know.
The debris field is more than a half-mile long. Inman encouraged people and businesses who may find debris to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
Gov. Andy Beshear said he expected the number of deaths to climb as search and rescue crews were still looking through a large field of still-smoking debris on Wednesday afternoon.
The plane reached an altitude of 175 feet and then rapidly descended, the New York Times reported, citing data from Flightradar 24.
U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, said at a press conference earlier Wednesday he met with NTSB investigators Wednesday morning. Twenty-eight staffers from the NTSB were at the Louisville airport. The federal shutdown, now the longest in American history, had no impact on the investigation, he said.
“We are bringing the full resources of the federal government to bear on this tragedy,” McGarvey said.
Inman said initial information shows staffing levels for Federal Aviation Administration traffic controllers at the airport was not a factor in the accident.
Inman said multiple work groups have been formed to analyze data related to the accident those groups will focus on areas including operations, structures, systems and power plants or engines.
“What we will do is analyze the facts, determine the probable cause of this accident, and then issue a report on those recommendations,” Inman said.
Inman said more information may be released at a briefing Thursday.
MD-11 Cargo plane has been involved in 11 serious accidents
UPS said the plane was a MD-11, a McDonnell Douglas aircraft.
That model is the largest trijet wide-body airliner in the world. The model was first used as a passenger plane, though was later converted into use as a cargo plane, according to Boeing.
The plane was originally built in 1991 and was later modified, Inman said.
According to Flightradar 24, which tracks flight data, the plane regularly makes cargo trips from Louisville to Honolulu, with the most recent trip listed on Oct. 30. It was carrying over 220,000 pounds of jet fuel, or 38,000 gallons, for its flight, Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill said Tuesday.
MD-11 planes have three engines. Two are mounted underneath the left and right wings; a third engine is located near the tail.
According to an online database of flight crashes by the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, a Geneva-based group that tracks airplane accidents, the MD-11 has been involved in 11 incidents resulting in more than 244 fatalities since 1993. Some involved pilot error or weather conditions, while other incidents were caused by electrical and mechanical problems.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct John Loucks’ name.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 3:45 PM.
