Boeing Reportedly Ignored Cracked Part Reports Before The Disastrous UPS Crash That Killed 15
Jalopnik • • general
Key Points:
- A UPS MD-11 cargo jet crashed near Louisville, Kentucky in November, killing all three crew members and 12 people on the ground; the FAA immediately grounded all MD-11s in the U.S. and the NTSB launched an investigation.
- The NTSB's initial report identified a cracked left engine mount as the cause, revealing that similar cracks had been found in other MD-11s over the past decade but were largely unreported to the FAA.
- Boeing was aware of the issue, as a 2011 report documented four prior engine mount failures, but the cracks were described in service reports as minor, which may have contributed to inadequate responses by UPS and regulators.
- Investigators found that UPS maintenance failed to detect the cracks during inspections, with the last detailed check of the critical engine mount parts occurring in October 2021 and the next scheduled inspection still thousands of cycles away.
- The NTSB hearing continues, focusing on why the cracks were not reported or addressed sooner and why federal oversight did not intervene earlier, with a final report expected next year.