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NTSB Photos Reveal Left Engine Snapping Off Before Deadly UPS MD-11 Crash

11:07 PM, 11/21/2025
NTSB Photos Reveal Left Engine Snapping Off Before Deadly UPS MD-11 Crash

New NTSB photos show the left engine and its pylon separating from a UPS MD-11 shortly after takeoff from Louisville on November 4, triggering a fire and a crash that killed 14 people and injured 23. Investigators found a cracked engine-mount bracket with signs of fatigue and overstress. UPS had inspected the pylon a week before the accident but the component was not due for a detailed inspection of critical parts. UPS has temporarily grounded its MD-11 fleet while the investigation continues.

Newly released photographs from the National Transportation Safety Board show the left engine and its pylon separating from a UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 shortly after the aircraft departed Louisville, Kentucky, bound for Hawaii on November 4. The images capture the engine detaching from the left wing and a burst of flame at the attachment point before the jet struck the ground near the end of the runway.

Flames and thick black smoke are visible where the engine detached. The separated engine came down on the airfield and a fire near the left pylon attachment continued as the freighter plunged into a nearby storage yard and struck two buildings.

Three crew members aboard the aircraft and 11 people on the ground near Muhammad Ali International Airport were killed; 23 others on the ground were injured. The MD-11 is a tri-jet, with two wing-mounted engines and a third engine mounted in the tail.

Investigation findings

The NTSB's preliminary investigation identified a bracket that secured the left engine as having cracked in two places. Investigators reported "evidence of fatigue cracks in addition to areas of overstress failure," indicating both progressive material fatigue and sudden overload in parts of the engine mount.

According to the report, UPS maintenance personnel inspected the left pylon seven days before the accident. The pylon was not scheduled for a more detailed inspection of critical engine-mount components; the last comprehensive examination of those parts was in October 2021.

"It appears UPS was conducting this maintenance within the required time frame, but I’m sure the FAA is now going to ponder whether that time frame is adequate," said Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator, after reviewing the preliminary findings.

Aftermath

UPS has temporarily grounded its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighters while investigators continue to probe the cause and regulators review inspection intervals and maintenance oversight. The NTSB investigation is ongoing and may prompt changes to inspection schedules or maintenance requirements for aircraft engine mounts.

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