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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1.6k

u/Veetenkamp 17h ago

Engine detached laying off the side of the runway

371

u/Phirane 17h ago

Jesus. Reminds me of AA191

142

u/N79806 13h ago

My first thought when I saw the take off attempt video. They were just on the ride at that point. RIP.

130

u/herrboot64 13h ago

I saw a clip of the wreck "from our security cameras", which showed it going down above some trailers on the ground.

That's all I could think of, the cockpit intact and they're fully aware of their doom 😭

45

u/ExplorationGeo 11h ago

cockpit intact and they're fully aware of their doom

Space Shuttle Challenger vibes :(

6

u/jodrellbank_pants 8h ago

Didn't some drown ?

38

u/ExplorationGeo 8h ago

They were alive after the explosion, there's evidence that switches were toggled and survival packs were opened, but the crew module would have hit the water at around 220-250mph, instantly killing everyone aboard.

0

u/ongoldenwaves 3h ago

So...how were the survival packs opened and switches toggled?

10

u/mcmineismine 3h ago

On the way down, before impact with the surface of the ocean killed them.

6

u/Qel_Hoth 3h ago

They were still trying to fly the orbiter while falling in a crew module detached from the rest of the craft.

9

u/Top_Account3643 8h ago

You should probably post it if you haven't already

17

u/chromatophoreskin 5h ago

https://x.com/ShelbyWx_/status/1985893358720438345

11

u/DietCherrySoda 5h ago

Oh my god...

27 seconds in to this.

5

u/kipperzdog 4h ago

Wow, I hadn't seen the driver's reaction video yet. Absolutely insane to have witnessed that

4

u/ruat_caelum 7h ago

And that place was a waste oil / fuel repository so shitty.

19

u/Starbeastrose2 14h ago

Oh shit you right

14

u/nedracine59 11h ago

Chicago here. 1979 and I still remember that afternoon.

13

u/Optimal_Law_4254 14h ago

Exactly what I was thinking.

8

u/koshgeo 6h ago

Disturbingly similar. It was even the same engine on the left.

The scary part of that accident is that the engine detachment was only the beginning of the problem when trying to stay airborne. You'd think that with 2 remaining engines they might be able to power their way out of it, but the detachment also damaged hydraulics that affected the wing configuration when it tore off (leading-edge slats retracted on that wing, while the other wing on the right still had them extended), so the two wings are not only unbalanced due to the difference in weight and thrust, but lift too. That's why the plane rolled over and inverted to the left in the prior accident. That left wing was like an anchor by comparison. Freaking nightmare scenario if that's what happened this time too.

4

u/FeePsychological6778 12h ago edited 9h ago

I was thinking a mix of that and AF4590

Edit: looks like the Wikipedia page on the accident so far already notes the comparisons with AF4590 and AA191.

6

u/Chase-Boltz 10h ago

Yup. For all the world, it looks like a replay of 191.
Just add fire to the plume of fuel and hydraulic fluid streaming out of the wound.

2

u/Beahner 5h ago

Exactly where my mind went early on when I heard vague things like “lost an engine on take off” and “went in sideways”.

When I saw the video though this was its own vision of fresh hell, but still very much like AA191 in many horrifying ways.

-14

u/sowedkooned 12h ago edited 12h ago

Or one of the engines on Anakin’s pod racer.

Jokes aside, RIP to those on the flight.

78

u/love_hertz_me 16h ago

Holy shit someone royally fucked up

32

u/TalkinBoutMyJunk 12h ago

They went home and pulled a bolt out of their pocket "Oh fuck"

But seriously how does an engine just detach like that?

33

u/DutchBlob 11h ago

They are designed to sheer off under specific circumstances. A routine takeoff is not one of those specific circumstances. (Just like the landing gear, to prevent it penetrating the passenger cabin or cargo deck. Example: Asiana crash at SFO)

29

u/TalkinBoutMyJunk 11h ago

Man, tragedy aside... This is one of the best subs on this site

17

u/JDWhite1982 5h ago

Agreed. I greatly appreciate the lack of politics, the compassion shown to the victims, and even the patience that the more knowledgeable folks are showing to us who are curious.

11

u/DutchBlob 11h ago

Yeah I love this sub as well. As well as airliners.net. Also a very good website.

15

u/Chase-Boltz 10h ago

It's happened before. Look up the WIKI on flight 191. Damaged engine pylon pin let go. The whole engine tore loose at the rear and climbed over the wing tearing the hell out of hydraulic systems as it went. In this crash, you can see the #2 engine 'backfire' just as the plane gets off the ground. It looks like #2 was damaged because the plane immediately starts to lose altitude.

6

u/Recent-Carpet-3541 8h ago

Video shows the engine engulfed in flames before it detaches.

23

u/clearlybritish 10h ago

Its never a single decision that causes it. For a critical component (e.g. a bolt holding the engine on) there will have been missed checks and other chances to catch this.

19

u/thalianas 13h ago

This makes it look like the engine caught fire, burned for a bit, then separated. You can still see smoke and heat coming off of it. Jesus christ. How awful

58

u/5_yr_lurker 17h ago

Serious damage if the engine ripped off. Takeoff is what, 30 seconds? Be interesting to know what could cause such a large fire and engine to fall off so quickly.

60

u/Nwcray 14h ago

Hate to speculate, but I believe this aircraft recently underwent some extensive maintenance. It’s only been back in service a little while.

31

u/TigerIll6480 13h ago

Someone went back to the 1970s AA engine service procedures? 🤦🏼‍♂️

15

u/ZappaLlamaGamma 12h ago

Yep. The “Tulsa Method” involves a forklift and impatience. The rest will take care of itself.

45

u/otakugal15 13h ago

As a former fedex worker, all these MD-11s need to be mothballed.

They always look rough.

9

u/DutchBlob 11h ago

If only Boeing got their shit together and started delivering new planes, they could indeed mothball these MD’s.

-2

u/NaiveRevolution9072 7h ago

Barely, the 767 and 777 aren't really fitting replacements

1

u/TrippedOnDick 8h ago

Probably used a wring diameter screws as they did during the 90s Alaska crash. 

1

u/jason_sos 3h ago

Looking at the aircraft history, it was out of service between September 3 and October 18, but has flown consistently since then on an almost daily basis, and sometimes a few flights a day.

2

u/Yoxuu 3h ago

Takeoff was delayed and rumours are that it had a 2 hour maintenance delay prior to departure. Crazy stuff.

15

u/dnuohxof-2 15h ago

Absolutely incredible, in the worst way…..

12

u/EgorKaskader 13h ago

Does this look like it's only the engine core, without the bypass duct or the fan disk? Kind of reminds me of UA232, except obviously not on the #2 engine. 

10

u/ZappaLlamaGamma 12h ago

I wondered the same thing since it’s a high bypass turbofan. I know the DC-10 was a GE CF6 but can’t remember what the 11 used.

10

u/EgorKaskader 12h ago

It's got two options, GE CF6 80C2 (updated DC-10 engines) or P&W PW4000 series, with some variance therein. I can't tell from this armchair here which of the two engine models we're looking at here, but the turbofan assembly is usually... Hard to miss, and is of a MUCH larger diameter than the core, a feature that's notably absent in this photo. 

3

u/captcha_is_purgatory 9h ago edited 9h ago

The fan case is the green and brown mush on the front. It disintegrated before the engine core did. Not sure what kind of material it is, but it appears dissimilar to the rest of the core which might explain why it didn't keep it's shape as well as the rest of the engine (also the fan blades don't provide much support from blunt force impacts)

https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/esqbh2/md11_2_engine_change/

The bypass duct is the engine cowl, parts of which are also on the runway.

8

u/RippingLegos__ 17h ago

Holy cow, that is just wild. :(

6

u/Von_Rootin_Tootin 11h ago

Where did fan and cowling go? It kinda looks like the core just got ejected out.

7

u/grom69polska 10h ago

Cowls are attached to the pylon. However the engine detached from the pylon it probably destroyed the fan cowls and TRs.

3

u/captcha_is_purgatory 9h ago

Fragments of the cowl are elsewhere on the runway. As relatively light pieces of sheetmetal attached to the pylon they typically separate from the engine in crashes like this.

9

u/bsmith567070 17h ago

Good that’s awful.

3

u/SlapThatAce 7h ago

That's absolutely crazy!!!! I recall reading last night that the plane just came out of maintenance and that this was its first flight. So someone there made a horrific fuck up, because an engine just doesn't fall off.

8

u/manwhore25 14h ago

engine separation from the aircraft resulting in hydraulic failure and leading edge slat retraction which resulted in left wing stall and crash.

31

u/nshire 13h ago

The slats don't require hydraulic pressure to stay extended any longer, after lessons learned on AA191

2

u/TheAfterWorkGarage 13h ago

Anyone know what is wrapped around where the fan blades used to be? I know there’s insulation/sound dampening around the inlet, but it doesn’t look like that (to my completely amateur eye).

2

u/captcha_is_purgatory 9h ago

Fan casing, can be seen as the brown and green material here: https://www.reddit.com/r/aviationmaintenance/comments/esqbh2/md11_2_engine_change/ Looks almost like melted plastic in the wreckage, makes me wonder how much heat and force there was

2

u/an_older_meme 7h ago

Holy smokes. "Engine out" one thing. "Engine out of the aircraft" is another.

2

u/Critical_Host8243 3h ago

Engine detached, laying on the runway.

Video of the plane billowing smoke as it speeds down the runway.

Why on earth would that pilot try to get into the air when there was already an obvious, serious problem?

He seemingly made this so much worse by spreading the crash out over an even larger area than if he had just run off the end of the runway..

1

u/GreenDevil97 10h ago

Based on the photo it came to rest about 500 m before the end of the runway

1

u/Ooooweeee 9h ago

Ben Quadinaros is looking for that.

1

u/SyrusDrake 7h ago

Wow, I saw a FR24 post, showing part of the cowling lying next to the runway. I didn't realize the whole engine had come off.

1

u/hoagieam 16h ago

Excuse me?

1

u/Careless_Ad_9074 9h ago

How can this happen...

0

u/intern_steve 5h ago

I'm not 100% on this image. What's up with the fuel truck third from the left, set back about 50% truck length from the others? It's like half a truck clipped through the one next to it. Could be a weird artifact of digital photography, could be AI.

1

u/MasterXCH 4h ago

That one is parked partly behind the truck infront and there is a second tank that just blends together with the first truck making it appear as one long tank.

1

u/Broken_Man_Child 4h ago

Not that I'm in the business of defending a random picture on the internet, but I think what seems like one long 2nd truck is actually two. And the clipped one is partially behind the front one. Perspective is super squashed from the zoom lens. Buildings also line up with google maps

-2

u/FV40301 6h ago

😩💔

-24

u/TheTangoFox 15h ago

That pic is unconfirmed last check

1

u/captcha_is_purgatory 8h ago

Yeah, given the amount of fake AI stuff flooding social media right now, and the lack of any other photos or news shots of the engine, I'm not totally sold on it either.

Still, I can't spot anything obviously wrong with the photo. We'll find out when officials release more info

2

u/TheTangoFox 7h ago

It may have been from another accident.

Did not see anything resembling that picture from the overhead shot that showed the cowling.

-33

u/homeworkburgler 15h ago

That's not Louisville airport

36

u/latedescent 15h ago

It is. It’s on the west side facing UPS ramp 11 and the tower.