The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made public a dramatic video showing the exact moment the left engine and its pylon separated from a UPS Boeing MD-11F, leading to a catastrophic and fatal crash moments after takeoff.
The video was unveiled during a two-day investigative hearing into the tragic downing of UPS Flight 2976 on November 4, 2025. The cargo aircraft was departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport for Honolulu when the failure occurred, causing a crash that claimed 15 lives—three crew members and 12 people on the ground, News.Az reports, citing Aero Time.
The newly released airport surveillance footage reveals just how rapidly the disaster unfolded while the jet was still on its takeoff roll on runway 17R.
The NTSB's hearing is zeroing in on structural metallurgy and decades of regulatory oversight. Investigations have pinpointed structural fatigue cracks within a bearing race, a critical component of the left pylon support structure that anchors the massive engine to the wing.
Shockingly, this wasn't an isolated structural anomaly. The NTSB is closely reviewing a 2011 Boeing safety report that had previously identified four identical component failures across three different aircraft. The board is currently investigating:
The engineering and design requirements of the MD-11 engine pylon components.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight—or lack thereof—regarding this specific structural issue over the last twenty years.
The exact progression of metallurgical fatigue that allowed the engine to rip completely free from the wing.
The disaster has reignited intense scrutiny over the aging MD-11 fleet, a tri-jet workhorse that has largely transitioned from commercial passenger service to global cargo operations.
The industry's response to the disaster was swift and severe. While FedEx has slowly begun returning its MD-11 fleet to active service following the lifting of a temporary FAA grounding order, UPS opted for a definitive exit, retiring its remaining fleet of MD-11 aircraft entirely by the end of 2025.
The NTSB notes that the investigation page has also been updated with high-resolution still images of the wing separation. While a massive coalition of stakeholders—including the FAA, Boeing, GE Aerospace, and the Independent Pilots Association—are participating in the hearings, officials emphasize that all findings remain preliminary as the board works toward a final safety report.
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