At approximately 5:15 p.m., on November 4th, UPS flight 2976 was scheduled to depart from the Louisville International Airport. Little did they know, 30 seconds later, disaster would strike, the left engine suddenly detached from its body, causing an enormous fire on the left side of the plane. Witnesses could see the aircraft tilting to the right. Approximately 10 seconds later, the large plane struck the ground at 110 knots, which caused an instant explosion. All 3 crew on board died instantly.
The root cause of the crash still remains unknown, but what we do know is that the left engine completely separated from the aircraft. severing multiple hydraulic lines and caused the flaps and slats on the left wing to retract. This led to the aircraft losing lift on its left wing, therefore causing the uncontrollable left tilt.
The black box recordings are still private, and the FAA is looking into them before coming to a conclusion. They have also stated that they will look into the aircraft’s maintenance records and release a statement once it’s been done.
Authorities have also concluded that the number of fatalities is 14. Three of them were on the aircraft, and 11 of them were civilians who were unfortunately in the path of the plane.
Out of those 11 civilians, one includes a 3-year-old and her grandpa, who sadly did not make it out alive.
Louisville mayor, Craig Greenberg, stated that, “The National Transportation Safety Board is still in Louisville, navigating a more complicated and larger debris field than originally anticipated.”
This quote from the mayor highlights the severity of the crash and how large an area it really affected. The plane crashed into many major businesses and stores.
Another surprising fact is that the rest of the UPS MD-11F fleet has been grounded, meaning the same plane models are not allowed to fly until inspections and maintenance have been performed. This will affect the nation as a whole since many packages will now be delayed for weeks or possibly months.
In conclusion, what happened on November 4th is a tragedy, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims. Hopefully, the FAA will release more information about the cause of the crash in the upcoming months.
