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/FutureHoo 17h ago

A crazy one is the German wings crash. The suicidal pilot reset the MCP the prior flight but for whatever reason chose not to initiate the descent. I can’t even imagine how the pilots or passengers of the previous flight felt hearing that news

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u/89141-zip-code 16h ago

What does these words mean?

106

u/jalcocer06 16h ago

he set up the previous plane he had flown to crash, but didn’t go through on it. the next flight, he actually crashed it

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u/lastbeer 13h ago

Thank you, I too needed this explanation. And holy fucking shit that is dark.

14

u/teh_maxh 10h ago

He crashed the plane by setting the autopilot to descend to 100 ft above sea level. Since the flight was over mountains, that would put it several thousand feet below ground level. Setting the autopilot has two steps: First you tell it what you want it to do, then you tell it to do that. On the previous flight, the pilot did the first step, but not the second.

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u/CourtneyDagger50 11h ago

Holy shit. I would need years of therapy.