AVIATION SAFETY OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE LAST YEAR’S FATAL UPS CRASH
June 9, 2026
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On May 20, 2026, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded a two-day investigative hearing into the November 2025 crash of UPS flight 2976 at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (“SDF”) which killed over a dozen people. After the left wing caught fire, the aircraft at issue crashed shortly after takeoff from SDF en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (“HNL”) in Hawaii. During the first day of hearings, members of the NTSB questioned witnesses on several topics, including inspections, maintenance, and safety reporting related to the 1991 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft. NTSB investigators learned that the original aircraft scheduled to carry cargo between SDF and HNL was sidelined at the last minute due to a fuel leak, meaning that UPS crew were forced to quickly switch aircraft to the 1991 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft to ensure their departure out of SDF. Representatives for Boeing and GE Aerospace were also in attendance due to reports that the bearing affixing the engine to the ill-fated aircraft had fractured and claims that Boeing knew, or should have known, of such structural risks since at least 2002. Even though Boeing issued compliance bulletins in recent years recommending periodic visual inspections and replacement of faulty bearings, NTSB probed to determine whether the aircraft manufacturer sufficiently alerted the FAA to prior failed bearing reports. Having concluded the hearings, the NTSB will develop safety recommendations aimed at preventing similar crashes in the future and will publish a final report in short order.
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