Re: Bad one

[SpyPilot]

The three crew are presumed and currently 4 additional fatalities on the ground. Left wing root was fully engulfed at rotation and the left engine apparently detached prior to the crash just off the departure end of the runway. At impact the airplane had rolled 90 degrees left. The intensity and length of the ground conflagration was horrifying.

[Inverted2]

Looks like the #1 engine had an un contained failure and fire and the middle engine got some of the debris which caused it to fail. After that it’s game over. Just speculating from the videos I saw. RIP to the crew.

[pelmet]

Looks like an MD-11 has crashed in Louisville on takeoff. Reports of fatalities.

#1 engine found near the side of the runway.....reminiscent of the infamous AA DC-10 crash at O'Hare in 1979.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/at ... y-to-grow/

[cdnavater]

Looks like an MD-11 has crashed in Louisville on takeoff. Reports of fatalities.

#1 engine found near the side of the runway.....reminiscent of the infamous AA DC-10 crash at O'Hare in 1979.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/at ... y-to-grow/

You sure it was #1 engine? Video looks like right(#2) engine on fire, if they also literally lost the number 1 engine, yikes.
The crash site was approximately 3 miles from the airport, according to a report I read, so who knows but it shows very little altitude with a nose high attitude just before impact.
The theory of loss of one and debris taking out the tail engine, heavy with fuel, worst case for one of these birds I would suspect!
RIP to the crew and those on the ground!

[jpilot77]

Looks like an MD-11 has crashed in Louisville on takeoff. Reports of fatalities.

#1 engine found near the side of the runway.....reminiscent of the infamous AA DC-10 crash at O'Hare in 1979.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/at ... y-to-grow/

You sure it was #1 engine? Video looks like right(#2) engine on fire, if they also literally lost the number 1 engine, yikes.
The crash site was approximately 3 miles from the airport, according to a report I read, so who knows but it shows very little altitude with a nose high attitude just before impact.
The theory of loss of one and debris taking out the tail engine, heavy with fuel, worst case for one of these birds I would suspect!
RIP to the crew and those on the ground!

The wing fire was on the left wing (were engine 1 was on fire and apparently separated).

[jpilot77]

Just watched a breakdown of the of the takeoff roll video. You can definitely see what looks to be multiple fireballs coming out of engine #2 as the plane rotates. Was this due to debris from when engine #1 self destructed or the flames and smoke being ingested by engine #2 I’m guessing we will find out.

[Dias]

Terrible design to have engine 2 being able to ingest debris from an engine 1 catastrophic failure.

[jpilot77]

Terrible design to have engine 2 being able to ingest debris from an engine 1 catastrophic failure.

100%

[JasonE]

NTSB press briefing confirmed engine departed during t/o roll.

Saw another video where #2 was getting compressor stall, possibly from FOD?

RIP to those we lost.

[Eric Janson]

Terrible design to have engine 2 being able to ingest debris from an engine 1 catastrophic failure.

Debris from an uncontained engine failure can go anywhere - even forward.

I know at least one case where debris bounced off the asphalt and ended up damaging the engine on the opposite wing.

Most failures are contained within the cowling.

[Dry Guy]

Debris from an uncontained engine failure can go anywhere - even forward.

I know at least one case where debris bounced off the asphalt and ended up damaging the engine on the opposite wing.

Most failures are contained within the cowling.

I'm not sure it was debris that caused the second engine to fail or compressor stall. It could have been because it was ingesting smoke and fire or very hot air with little oxygen content.

[Eric Janson]

Debris from an uncontained engine failure can go anywhere - even forward.

I know at least one case where debris bounced off the asphalt and ended up damaging the engine on the opposite wing.

Most failures are contained within the cowling.

I'm not sure it was debris that caused the second engine to fail or compressor stall. It could have been because it was ingesting smoke and fire or very hot air with little oxygen content.

The investigation will hopefully clarify exactly what happened.

[Dry Guy]

I'm sure it will. This ain't India.

[Eric Janson]

UPS and FedEx ground their MD-11 fleets.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2pr5y7p90o

The 38000 gallons that keeps being referred to is apparently the maximum fuel tank capacity.

I haven't seen any information about the actual fuel on board.

[Dry Guy]

The FAA has issued emergency AD 2025-23-51 calling for inspections of all MD-11 engine pylons. It sounds like the engine fell off the pylon on takeoff rotation.

[Canoehead]

Even worse, it sounds more like the pylon (and therefore engine) departed the wing. I know engines are designed to shear from pylons, but I am not sure pylons are supposed to shear from anything.

[BMLtech]

The pylon is not designed to ever separate during flight for any reason, due to severe secondary airframe and system damage. It may be designed to separate in the event of terrain impact to protect the wing box structure from rupture. Hence the emergency AD. It will be interesting to find out what started this particular chain of events. Crew had no chance, RIP.

[7ECA]

The NTSB released their preliminary report today: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pag ... MA024.aspx

On Nov 20th 2025 the NTSB released their preliminary report stating, that during the rotation for takeoff the pylon of engine #1 and the engine separated from the wing igniting a fire. The aircraft climbed to a maximum of 30 feet AGL radar altimeter according to FDR, the aircraft cleared the blast fence past the runway, however, the left main landing gear impacted the roof of a UPS Supply Chain Solutions warehouse, then the aircraft impacted a storage yard and two additional buildings including a petroleum recycling facility and was mostly consumed by fire. The debris field was about 3000 feet long.

The NTSB summarized laboratory examination of the left hand pylon mounts: "After initial cleaning of the fracture surfaces, examination of the left pylon aft mount lug fractures found evidence of fatigue cracks in addition to areas of overstress failure. On the aft lug, on both the inboard and outboard fracture surfaces, a fatigue crack was observed where the aft lug bore met the aft lug forward face. For the forward lug's inboard fracture surface, fatigue cracks were observed along the lug bore. For the forward lug's outboard fracture surface, the fracture consisted entirely of overstress with no indications of fatigue cracking. The forward top flange of the aft mount assembly was examined for indications of deformation or pre-existing fractures, but no indications were found. The spherical bearing was removed from the wing clevis for further evaluation."

With respect to maintenance the NTSB stated: "At the time of the accident, N259UP had accumulated a total time of about 92,992 hours and 21,043 cycles. The accident airplane was maintained under a continuous airworthiness maintenance program (CAMP). A review of the inspection tasks for the left pylon aft mount found both a general visual inspection (GVI) and a detailed visual inspection of the left pylon aft mount, required by UPS's maintenance program at a 72-month interval, was last accomplished on October 28, 2021. A 24-month/4,800 hour lubrication task of the pylon thrust links and pylon spherical bearings was last accomplished on October 18, 2025. A special detailed inspection (SDI) of the left pylon aft mount lugs would have been due at 29,200 cycles and of the left wing clevis support would have been due at 28,000 cycles. The accident airplane records showed these two SDI tasks had not been accomplished (the airplane had 21,043 cycles)."

With respect to similiar occurrences the NTSB stated:

On May 25, 1979, about 1504 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 191, a McDonnellDouglas DC-10-10 aircraft, crashed into an open field just short of a trailer park about 4,600 ft northwest of the departure end of runway 32R at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois. Flight 191 was taking off from runway 32R. The weather was clear and the visibility was 15 miles. During the takeoff rotation, the left engine and pylon assembly and about 3 ft of the leading edge of the left wing separated from the airplane and fell to the runway. Flight 191 continued to climb to about 325 ft agl and then began to roll to the left. The airplane continued to roll to the left until the wings were past the vertical position, and during the roll, the airplane's nose pitched down below the horizon.

Flight 191 crashed into the open field and the wreckage scattered into an adjacent trailer park.

The airplane was destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire. Two hundred and seventy-one persons on board Flight 191 were killed; two persons on the ground were killed, and two others were seriously injured. An old aircraft hangar, several automobiles, and a mobile home were destroyed. The NTSB investigated American Airlines flight 191 accident, see NTSB No. DCA79AA017 and aircraft accident report AAR-79-17.

[Dias]

Wow I hadn't seen the pictures of the engine flying off before. 6 year inspection intervals is ridiculous.