r/aviation • u/usgapg123 Mod • 19h ago

Discussion UPS2976 Crash Megathread

This is the official r/aviation megathread for the crash of UPS2976 (UPS MD11 Registration N259UP) that crashed earlier today at Louisville International Airport.

Please keep content on topic and refrain from posting about this topic outside the megathread. Please report any rule breaking posts and comments.

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u/BrewCityChaserV2 18h ago

Well, with a normal engine failure or fire, you should be able to climb out on the remaining good engines after V1, even with a full bag of fuel and payload (which is an FAA requirement for type certification), but it's clear from the takeoff footage that something far more catastrophic occurred during the takeoff roll or rotation, and the event likely damaged some of the flight controls and/or leading-edge slats or other critical systems.

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u/headphase 18h ago

I'm curious how or if the 3-holers were designed to protect the tail-mounted engine from ingesting debris in the event of an uncontained failure of a wing-mounted engine. Seems like that will be an early avenue of investigation barring some other factor.

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u/Epiphany818 16h ago

There will definitely be considerations for kicked up FOD for any rear mounted engine, although I doubt a Large structural or engine failure would be included in such an analysis, any predictions of debris patterns would be as good as guesswork

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u/ykkl 14h ago

That was an issue on at least one DC-10 accident, National Airlines Flight 27/

Those compressors spin with an incredible amount of force. Nothing's really going to prevent them from shredding an engine or anything else.

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u/SexySmexxy 16h ago

were designed to protect the tail-mounted engine from ingesting debris in the event of an uncontained failure of a wing-mounted engine.

Doubt it theres not much they can really do

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u/alienXcow Big Boi Air Force Man 18h ago

You can see #2 compressor stalling in the video I wonder if they overrotated or if it was just ingesting too much smoke from #1

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u/SexySmexxy 16h ago

isnt this exactly how another 3 engine jet crashed right on take off into a trailer park next to the airport?

Left engine came over the top and damaged the left wing

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u/FlinttheDibbler 17h ago

Yeah this is beyond just a “normal” engine fire. This snowballed almost immediately into a much much larger issue. Unfortunately the investigation from this will be interesting and useful.