A UPS MD-11 cargo jet erupts in flames after a catastrophic engine separation during takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. In this in-depth analysis, Jeff Ostroff breaks down exactly how an engine can fall off an aircraft, what may have gone wrong with this jet’s pylon mounts, and why NTSB investigators are now looking closely at maintenance records, structural fatigue, and design legacy from the DC-10 era.
You’ll see aerial footage, 3D diagrams, and a clear explanation of the takeoff sequence — including what V1, Vr, and V2 really mean for a heavy aircraft like this. Then we compare this tragedy to the historic American Airlines Flight 191 disaster in 1979 to show what’s changed — and what hasn’t — in nearly five decades of aviation engineering.
00:00 Dashcam video of UPS Plane Crash, Louisville, KY MD11F
02:38 NTSB Preliminary Update: Airport Cam shows the left engine fell off
04:47 What NTSB found on the Louisville Airport runway: MD11 Engine parts
05:27 Analyzing flight path from runway to warehouses
06:37 What takeoff should look like from Runway 17R
06:59 Aerial video of UPS plane crash debris field and fires
07:57 UPS Plane crash similar to AA Flight 191, Chicago, 1979
09:15 Details of UPS Flight 2976 Tail Number N259UP
11:12 Possible Causes of MD11 Engine Separation
11:55 Detailed explanation of each possible plane crash root cause
13:20 Security Cam videos of UPS MD11 plane crash
14:47 NTSB preliminary and final report timeline
That was a great and informative video.I unfortunately witnessed the whole thing live. I have worked at UPS for 34 years.And of course, it is the worst thing I have ever seen.And I never, ever imagined I would see something like this. Almost every day after the load, I will set by the runway and watch the planes take off on my break. Tuesday will be burned in my memory forever. As the nose started to lift and the plane was taking off.There was a lot of noise and then all of a sudden, a massive explosion, and the number one engine popped off and went flying to the right side of the plane. The thing it reminded me of was, when you see the videos of people putting mentos in the two liters and they go flying, it did just like that. As I am typing this, they just opened the runway where this all went down. It felt like I was watching a movie.I just couldn't believe it. I am sitting in that same spot now.Watching all these planes taking off. I can't stop thinking about all of the families' lives that were changed forever.😪
Sorry we forgot to bolt that one on woops I think some serious thing happened there because usually and I'm no airplane mechanic but I'm pretty sure they dont just fall off. Dude I dont care if I'm at V-2 speed if i'm still on the runway and an engine just FALLS OFF I'm stopping that plane! your putting more lives at risk trying to take off with a single engine which fully loaded that plane can't do anyway so your doomed as it is. So why put all those lives at risk by pulling up and not just crashing at the airport where there's medical personnel and fire trucks ready for that? I'm not blaming the pilots because they did what the manual says but in this case there should be a revision of that V-2 speed like in case your engine falls off don't try to gain any lift…just saying maybe that should be in the manual.
Who needs red-tape anyway?
Yo Prayers up for the victims of this avoidable crash. Somebody got paid for not doing their Job.
Donald j trump killed them people so so said rip to all the victims. If trump would never shut down the economy then the Democrats would not have to shut the government down so this is all Donald J Trump fault.😢
Shouldn’t the plane have undergone NDI while under maintenance in San Antonio?
Why are we still talking about the engine falling off when the plane was overloaded past its mtow by 20%? Or how about the fact that this plane was going to attempt a flight from Louisville Kentucky to Honolulu nonstop? By the way the MD-11 doesn't have the fuel capacity to make that trip, they would have crashed in the Pacific. You keep talking about the engine because that's what you're being told to talk about when in reality this plane was never supposed to make it to its destination. This was intentional. One way or another that plane was going down.
Crazy this is 5 mins away from my home. It was so scary the smoke looked like a huge black cloud over the city, you could literally see it miles away. I hope that UPS fixes the problem and prayers to everyone involved.
I like it
Could the second blue flash be a compressor stall and not a power line strike?