Federal investigators have issued new findings — along with dramatic frame-by-frame surveillance images — shedding light on the UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky that left 14 people dead earlier this month.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report, UPS Flight 2976 began its taxi and takeoff roll on Nov. 4 at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport without incident. Trouble started as the aircraft rotated for takeoff. At that moment, the left engine and its pylon separated from the wing, igniting a fire as the engine passed over the fuselage before slamming into the ground.
Investigators said airport surveillance cameras recorded the sequence, capturing multiple frames that show flames breaking out near the left pylon attachment point and continuing until impact.
Even with the fire, the aircraft initially lifted off. But the climb was short-lived: the plane never rose higher than about 30 feet above the runway. It cleared the blast fence at the end of Runway 17R, but the left main landing gear struck the roof of a UPS Supply Chain Solutions warehouse at the southern edge of the airport. The aircraft then hit a storage yard and two more buildings, including a petroleum recycling facility, and was largely consumed by fire.
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The NTSB also reported that the 34-year-old aircraft showed signs of structural wear, including multiple fatigue cracks and fractures, which are now part of the ongoing investigation.
As the inquiry continues, investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorders, along with the separated engine and pylon.
The crash killed all three crew members aboard the plane and 11 people on the ground. Another 23 people on the ground were injured.
Officials said the captain, who was monitoring the flight, had 8,614 total hours of flight experience, including nearly 5,000 hours on the same aircraft type. The first officer, who was flying the takeoff, had about 9,200 flight hours, with roughly 944 hours on that model.
Those who died were identified as Capt. Dana Diamond, 62; Capt. Richard Wartenberg, 57; First Officer Lee Truitt, 45; Angela Anderson, 45; Carlos Fernandez, 52; Trinadette “Trina” Chavez, 37; Tony Crain, 65; John Loucks, 52; John Spray, 45; Matthew Sweets, 37; Ella Petty Whorton, 31; Megan Washburn, 35; Louisnes Fedon, 47; and Fedon’s 3-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa.
The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F freighter, a cargo model that regularly operates out of Louisville, the company’s global air hub. The facility employs about 12,000 workers and processes more than 2 million packages daily within a 5-million-square-foot complex.
After the crash, UPS said it was devastated by the loss of life and was cooperating fully with investigators while supporting response efforts with federal, state, and local authorities.
The NTSB investigation remains ongoing, and a final report is expected in 18 to 24 months.
