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Cracked part had been flagged ahead of Kentucky plane crash that killed 15 people
TL;DR
The NTSB is investigating a Kentucky plane crash that killed 15 people, revealing prior reports of cracks in the wing mount. The UPS MD-11's left engine sheared off during takeoff from Louisville, leading to the fatal incident.
Key points
- NTSB is reviewing reports of cracks in a wing mount.
- The crash killed 15 people and injured 23 on the ground.
- A cracked part was flagged in a 2011 Boeing report.
- Fatigue cracks were found in the left pylon's bearing race.
- There were prior reports of cracks in MD-11 race parts.
Mentioned in this story
National Transportation Safety BoardUPSLouisville
MD-11
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed on Tuesday that it is reviewing reports of cracks in a wing mount before the left engine sheared off from a UPS freight airplane on takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky, in November, resulting in a crash that killed 15 people.
That information surfaced at the beginning of a two-day hearing into the crash of the delivery service’s MD-11, which left all three crew members and 12 people on the ground dead. An additional 23 people on the ground were injured as an auto parts recycling ignited after the freighter crashed into it.
Between the crash and the NTSB hearing, the board said that a cracked part on the doomed jet was flagged in a Boeing 2011 report which said there had previously been four such failures on three different airplanes.
The NTSB said its investigation had found fatigue cracks in a support structure on the left pylon that connects to the wing and the plane’s engine known as the bearing race.
The agency also said there were a series of reports of cracks in race parts on MD-11 planes in the prior decade.
The NTSB’s hearing is also meant to review the design requirements for those components, along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s oversight of the problem over the last two decades.
The FedEx delivery service said it had again started using its fleet of MD-11s after the FAA lifted an order that had barred flying those airplanes after the UPS crash. That came after UPS retired its remaining two dozen MD-11 jets soon after the crash.
Ahead of the hearing, the NTSB released an animated video of the components that failed on 11 November. It also released airport surveillance video that showed the engine breaking off the jet, which was unable to climb on its remaining two engines and slammed into the ground in a fireball.
The families of several victims who were injured or killed in the crash were present for the hearing in Washington DC.
“These families are devastated and certainly deserve answers,” said attorney Bradley Cosgrove, partner at Clifford law offices, which is believed to have filed the first wrongful death claim in Kentucky regarding the crash.
Cosgrove, who heads up the team of lawyers, pilots, and technical experts at the firm, was also attending.
In her opening statement on Tuesday, Jennifer Homey, the NTSB chair, addressed the families of those who were killed in the crash, saying: “Please know: Your loved ones are the reason we’re here. We want to find out what happened.
Q&A
What caused the Kentucky plane crash that killed 15 people?
The crash was caused by the left engine shearing off due to fatigue cracks in the wing mount, which had been flagged in earlier reports.
How many people were injured in the Kentucky plane crash?
In addition to the 15 fatalities, 23 people on the ground were injured when the plane crashed into an auto parts recycling facility.
What did the NTSB find regarding the MD-11's maintenance history?
The NTSB found that there had been previous reports of cracks in the wing mount structure on MD-11 planes, including a 2011 Boeing report noting four failures on three different aircraft.
