The preliminary report published by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed important findings regarding the UPS cargo plane that crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 4. The report stated that during takeoff, one of the plane’s engines separated from the wing and caught fire after hitting the fuselage.
According to the investigation shared by NTSB with frame-by-frame images, the engine separated from the wing immediately after the plane left the ground. It was stated that the broken engine hit the fuselage, causing great damage, and then caught fire.
The plane, which took off from Louisville to Hawaii, was only able to rise 30 feet (9.1 meters) from the airport runway on the day of the accident. After the plane barely left the runway, its parts reportedly hit the roof of a nearby UPS warehouse.
Fatigue cracks found in engine mounting
According to the BBC, in the preliminary report, “fatigue cracks and fractures due to overload” were detected at the engine connection point on the left wing of the aircraft. It was noted that there was a serious break in one of the bearings connecting the engine to the body.
While it was stated that the aircraft had a total of 92,992 flight hours and 21,043 cycles (landing-takeoff), it was revealed that the engine connections were not subjected to a special detailed inspection that should be carried out every 29,200 cycles.
An alarm was raised in the city after the accident
The report included the statements of local officials that the plane was carrying hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel and that “fuel rained down” in the region after the crash. Temporary shelter was called for a 5-mile (8km) radius around the airport due to the risk of explosion and air pollution.
TERRIFYING: Dashcam video shows the moment the UPS cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this week, killing 14 people and igniting a fireball that struck two nearby businesses.
UPS has temporarily grounded 9% of its fleet “out of an abundance of caution.” pic.twitter.com/HzQC9eBDxm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 8, 2025
14 people lost their lives
In the accident, three crew members on the plane and 11 people on the ground died. 23 people were injured.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared an emergency after the incident and called the National Guard to duty.
Investigation ongoing
NTSB officials announced that the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder (black box) were sent to a secure facility and analyzes are continuing. The comprehensive investigation is expected to result in a detailed final report in the coming months.
Source: Newspaper Oxygen
