Image Captures Moment of UPS Plane Crash; Engine Detached Pre-Takeoff According to NTSB

A UPS cargo aircraft met with disaster near a Louisville airport, claiming at least 11 lives. An NTSB official detailed that security footage from the airport revealed the plane lost its left engine prior to leaving the ground.

During a media briefing on Wednesday, J. Todd Inman, an NTSB representative, stated that agency-reviewed footage depicted the left engine coming away from the wing during the aircraft's acceleration phase. This period, known as the takeoff roll, is when a plane speeds along the runway before lift-off.

Inman also commented on the value of these video recordings and other gathered materials in supporting the investigation.

The UPS jet, a widebody model manufactured over three decades ago by McDonnell-Douglas—now part of Boeing—was en route to Honolulu when it crashed in the vicinity of the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

Marked with the identifier N259UP, this aircraft originally served Thai Airways starting in 1991 and joined the UPS fleet in 2006.

A dramatic image shared on social media and reported by Reuters showcased the moment the plane tilted abruptly left, leading to its fiery destruction.

Brian O'Neill, chief of Louisville's Fire Department, indicated the jet was carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel at the time of the crash.

Kentucky's Governor, Andy Beshear, posted on social media Wednesday evening, sadly noting that the number of fatalities could reach 12 by day's end.

Impacts on Operations

The incident temporarily ceased package processing at UPS's main sorting center, Worldport, situated near the affected airport. Subsequently, the company announced the suspension of its two-day air service from this hub.

Boeing has yet to provide a comment on this tragic event.

According to Cirium, a total of around 60 MD-11 models continue to operate in the cargo sector for companies like UPS, FedEx, and Western Global. These planes have not been used for passenger flights since 2014.

This catastrophe marks the second serious air cargo calamity in one month, closely following an Emirates SkyCargo accident where an out-of-control plane led to casualties in Hong Kong on October 20.