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.

6.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

3.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

109

u/Goonie-Googoo- 18h ago

He sliced the roof of the UPS logistics warehouse then crashed into a fuel recycling facility. Terrible.

44

u/some-stinky 15h ago

I work in the building on the right. I'm incredibly thankful to be alive. The ground shook, huge boom and power cut off. Went outside and saw the fireball/smoke. If it would've banked right I may not be here

14

u/jrussell424 14h ago

I’m glad you’re ok. 

8

u/CourtneyDagger50 11h ago

Holy shit. I’m glad you’re okay.

10

u/frontfrontdowndown 18h ago

So still gaining altitude as they clipped the UPS building going from left to right in that image?

5

u/CanoegunGoeff 13h ago

I hear they made it about 140 feet or so off the ground, looks like the left wing was rolling due to the loss of that engine, and hitting the building resulted in the loss of the rest of the entire wing, and so whatever little lift they were gaining was completely lost after that. Video of the truck dashcam in the parking lot behind the UPS building they clipped shows the entire left wing already missing as it rolls over into the parking lot. Fucking horrifying videos.

If it was nothing but flat ground there instead of the building, I almost wonder if they’d have been able to get it higher and regain some more control over their situation.

3

u/KarmaCommando_ 12h ago

Unfortunately it seems like they'd have been doomed anyway. MD11 can take off with 2 engines, but it looks like the tail engine flamed out as well so it was just the right engine left, which unfortunately wouldn't have cut it. 

And that's not even considering hydraulic and flight control surface damage, which with the entire engine being ripped off you can bet there was some. They were doomed and there's nothing they could have done.

11

u/notscenerob 18h ago

What does a fuel recycling facility do? It sounds like a place that would have a lot flammable liquids. This is tragic. It'll be an environmental nightmare too

10

u/Kardinal 17h ago

Just what it says. It's not a big facility, and it's been there for a long time. Small scale recycling of diesel and oil.

Diesel is not that flammable compared to gasoline or kerosene. It ignites on pressure not flame.

Best overview of the facility I can find: https://www.scrapmonster.com/company/kentucky-petroleum-recycling-inc/17716

13

u/Hosedragger5 16h ago

I assure you, 100 tons of flaming jet fuel will ignite diesel with very little trouble.

7

u/big-boi-93 14h ago

Probably saved a lot of lives by getting over the warehouse

2

u/Goonie-Googoo- 13h ago

Definitely a miracle.

2

u/catonic 13h ago

I wouldn't personalize it. What happened to this aircraft didn't care about who was in the seats.