UPS MD11 crash on take-off in Kentucky

[Daver6]

At least three dead after cargo plane crashes at Kentucky airport

A UPS cargo plane with three people on board crashes after exploding during take-off from Louisville International Airport in the US state of Kentucky.

www.abc.net.au

 

[OZDUCK]

When I saw MD11 and crash I at first assumed it was a crash on landing as that seems to be the 'normal' circumstances of MD11 crashes.

 

[Daver6]

Suggestions that #1 engine separated from the aircraft

 

[equus]

When I saw MD11 and crash I at first assumed it was a crash on landing as that seems to be the 'normal' circumstances of MD11 crashes.

As the actual crash is an impact with something, if the impact is with the ground, then by definition it will be a form of landing, and hence almost all crashed (other than mid air collisions) could be deemed a crash on landing. The more relevant assessment would be was it a crash when trying to land.

 

[RSD]

Suggestions that #1 engine separated from the aircraft

View attachment 479922

Damn - never a good thing when you leave an engine behind! It would be interesting to see where on the airfield that exactly is.

 

[Saab34]

For the Pilots, in such circumstances, do you get a fire warning, or would it be safe to assume crew might not be aware a wing/engine is on fire behind them unless one looks back?

 

[Daver6]

Damn - never a good thing when you leave an engine behind! It would be interesting to see where on the airfield that exactly is.

This from a Atlas Air pilot mate based in the US

The flight was an MD11 from SDF to HNL. Max weight. Apparently, they had a 2 hour maintenance delay on the left engine. The left engine (according to reports) fell off during the takeoff roll.

 

[moa999]

Off -airport view from a trucker.

Nabeel Khan (@aviationdiaryhd) on Threads

A truck driver’s dash-cam captured the exact moment UPS Flight 2976 went down in Louisville. You can see the aircraft descending fast with smoke visible, then slamming into a facility near the airport and erupting into flames. The driver’s shock and reaction tell you everything — nobody expected...

www.threads.com

Reading that Eng 1 exploded and seemingly dropped off, FOD into Eng 2 then aircraft rolled.

As well as aircrew appears at least 4 (edited) on ground killed with a few more people missing. rip.

 

[RSD]

For the Pilots, in such circumstances, do you get a fire warning, or would it be safe to assume crew might not be aware a wing/engine is on fire behind them unless one looks back?

Given that an engine has completely detached itself somewhere about the point of rotation I think that it is safe to assume that they would have received a bunch of warnings - and the aircraft would have started handling oddly...

I've done some geolocation, what is likely the No.1 engine shown in the photo that @Daver6 posted above is sitting on the grass where I have put the red mark in this photo -

 

[RSD]

Off -airport view from a trucker.

Nabeel Khan (@aviationdiaryhd) on Threads

A truck driver’s dash-cam captured the exact moment UPS Flight 2976 went down in Louisville. You can see the aircraft descending fast with smoke visible, then slamming into a facility near the airport and erupting into flames. The driver’s shock and reaction tell you everything — nobody expected...

www.threads.com

Reading that Eng 1 exploded and seemingly dropped off, FOD into Eng 2 then aircraft rolled.

As well as aircrew appears at least 11 on ground killed with a few more people missing. rip.

If 1 & 2 are both inoperable (to say the least) then it sure wasn't going to get far just on number 3...

 

[RSD]

Off -airport view from a trucker.

Nabeel Khan (@aviationdiaryhd) on Threads

A truck driver’s dash-cam captured the exact moment UPS Flight 2976 went down in Louisville. You can see the aircraft descending fast with smoke visible, then slamming into a facility near the airport and erupting into flames. The driver’s shock and reaction tell you everything — nobody expected...

www.threads.com

Reading that Eng 1 exploded and seemingly dropped off, FOD into Eng 2 then aircraft rolled.

As well as aircrew appears at least 11 on ground killed with a few more people missing. rip.

Truck driver is probably looking for somewhere to buy a lotto ticket!

 

[RSD]

Apparently the maintenance delay was due to a fuel leak.

 

[RSD]

Additional information - adding to the massive fire was that the aircraft crashed into a oils recycling facility.

 

[Daver6]

Given that an engine has completely detached itself somewhere about the point of rotation I think that it is safe to assume that they would have received a bunch of warnings - and the aircraft would have started handling oddly...

I've done some geolocation, what is likely the No.1 engine shown in the photo that @Daver6 posted above is sitting on the grass where I have put the red mark in this photo -
View attachment 479927

Assuming take-off is starting at the bottom of that image and heading upward, then the engine looks to have separated quite early during take-off acceleration. I'm by far not an expert, but I would have though that early on they would have aborted take-off.

 

[RSD]

Assuming take-off is starting at the bottom of that image and heading upward, then the engine looks to have separated quite early during take-off acceleration. I'm by far not an expert, but I would have though that early on they would have aborted take-off.

No, aircraft was taking off to the south (bottom of the screen) on runway 17R

 

[tgh]

Some of the video clips on the evening news are chilling….

 

[moa999]

CNN article including maps.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/us/ups-plane-crash-louisville-airport

 

[RSD]

Current death toll is basically 7 - four confirmed fatalities amongst people on the ground, and it is expected that the three crew on the flight have been killed too. At this stage they don't believe that anyone else is unaccounted for - the numbers could have been a lot worse and certainly would have been if the aircraft had taken off from the same runway in the opposite direction - and judging by the tyre marks on the runway the opposite direction is the more prevalent one.

I haven't any audio of the incident (either before or after the crash) appear in my youtube feeds but there may be some out there somewhere.

 

[jb747]

For the Pilots, in such circumstances, do you get a fire warning, or would it be safe to assume crew might not be aware a wing/engine is on fire behind them unless one looks back?

I wouldn’t expect you to get any warnings at all. Almost everything is inhibited from roughly 100 knots until around 400’. Beyond that though, the major components of the fire system are no longer attached to the aircraft. The #1 engine display may disappear, or go off scale. All warnings are completely irrelevant at this stage of flight. Even the fire is irrelevant if you haven’t got the aircraft under control.

 

[moa999]

YTber pilots reactions.