NTSB Opens Hearing on UPS MD-11 Crash That Killed 15 in Louisville

The National Transportation Safety Board opened a two-day investigative hearing Tuesday morning to examine the cause of the November 2025 crash of UPS Flight 2976. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane lifted only 30 feet off the runway at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport before it crashed and exploded.

Fifteen people died, including the three pilots on board, and 23 people on the ground were injured.

A preliminary NTSB report showed the left engine separating from the wing and flying over the fuselage as the plane rolled down the runway. The cargo plane was carrying a full load of jet fuel on a flight to Honolulu. Investigators have not determined the cause but released an update in January that focused on the engine mounting system.

A spherical bearing that cracked on Flight 2976 had failed four times on other MD-11 aircraft. Boeing had warned operators about the bearing issue in 2011. At the time the company did not consider it a flight safety threat, though it later added a visual inspection to the MD-11 service manual.

The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all MD-11 aircraft after the crash. Earlier this month the agency approved Boeing's updated inspection and repair protocol, allowing the planes to return to service. FedEx resumed MD-11 operations after completing inspections and maintenance on its fleet.

Two of the carrier's aircraft have already returned to revenue service. UPS decided to retire its remaining 26 MD-11 aircraft and replace them with Boeing 767 freighters. CEO Carol Tomé announced the accelerated retirement during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call in January.

The hearing at NTSB headquarters will include testimony from UPS, the FAA, Boeing, and union representatives. Investigators continue to examine the engine mounting assembly and related maintenance records.