New video shows fiery moments engine separated from UPS cargo plane in deadly crash

The National Transportation Safety Board released new video Tuesday that showed an engine flying off a UPS cargo plane that crashed during takeoff last year in Louisville, killing 15 people. The NTSB also revealed that the crew of the crashed jet had been reassigned to it after their original plane was taken out of service.

The video, captured by an airport camera, showed the engine come off the plane in a ball of fire as the jet raced down the runway.

On Nov. 4, 2025, UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, where UPS has its global aviation hub. Photos and videos had showed the left engine separating and falling off the plane during takeoff.

The crash of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F killed all three pilots aboard the plane and 12 more people on the ground when the jet slammed into a nearby business complex. Nearly two dozen more people were injured.

During the first day of a two-day hearing in Washington, D.C., NTSB investigators revealed that the flight crew had been reassigned to the MD-11F after their original plane, also an MD-11, was taken out of service.

The original plane was taken out of service when a fuel leak was discovered and reported to maintenance, the NTSB disclosed.

The NTSB previously reported there was evidence of cracks in the left wing’s engine mount. The NTSB said Tuesday that metal fatigue caused the failure of a component attaching the engine to the wing.

An NTSB investigator also disclosed during the hearing that UPS did not take additional action after reviewing a 2011 notice from Boeing that flagged structural failures on the MD-11.

UPS has said the notification did not require action.

The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the MD-11 after the November crash, and UPS has since retired them from its fleet.
 
“Our focus remains on supporting the investigation and honoring those affected by this tragedy,” UPS said in a statement Tuesday.
 
Meanwhile, even though the NTSB investigation is ongoing, FedEx has started returning MD-11 aircraft to service after they undergo repairs recommended by Boeing and approved by the FAA.