Aircraft, Ups crash: signs of failure found on MD-11
The accident on 4 November killed 14 people. Dramatic sequence of the moment of the crash published
by Mara Monti
The Ups MD-11 cargo plane which crashed this month when its left engine detached shortly after takeoff had cracks in several sections of the pylon securing the engine, according to a preliminary report on the accident that killed 14 people. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also found areas of overload failure, according to the agency, which released the dramatic photo sequence showing the engine and its pylon detaching and launching into the air in a fireball almost immediately after takeoff. The report is the first detailed account of the accident on 4 November.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F has lost its left engine during takeoff from the main hub of the airport in Louisville, Kentucky, and failed to climb more than 30 feet before crashing, according to the report. The victims included the crew and 11 people on the ground.
After the accident, the US Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded all MD-11F cargo aircraft, pending inspections by operators. It has since extended this directive to other aircraft with similar engine pylon designs. The grounding affects about 9% of the UPS fleet and about 4% of that of rival FedEx Corp.
UPS said in a statement that, prior to the FAA directive, it had grounded its MD-11 fleet 'out of an abundance of caution'. The carrier and Boeing, which took over McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said they were cooperating with the investigation.
Although the preliminary report may provide clues to the causes of the accident, it may take one to two years to reach final conclusions.
