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UPS cargo Plane Crash in Louisville: engine Failure and Echoes of Past Disasters
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A deadly UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday has left at least 12 people dead and nearly 20 injured, prompting a federal investigation focused on the aircraft’s maintenance history and a crucial data recorder. The disaster, which unfolded as the plane attempted takeoff, also triggered a shutdown of the world’s largest package distribution hub and significant disruptions to air travel.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated on wednesday that a number of individuals remain unaccounted for, as search crews continue to comb through an industrial area adjacent to the airport where the aircraft impacted several businesses.
engine Failure and Initial Findings
Initial investigations reveal a harrowing sequence of events. According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Todd Inman, the left wing of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 caught fire while the plane was accelerating for takeoff, and later, an engine detached from the aircraft.The fallen engine came to rest on the ground beside the runway.
The MD-11 is equipped with three engines – two mounted on the wings and one on the tail.Despite the loss of an engine, aviation experts suggest the plane should have been capable of continuing the takeoff. “The plane should have been able to take off if one engine was inoperable or even if it had fallen off,” explained John Cox, CEO of Florida-based aviation consulting firm Safety Operating Systems. however, he cautioned that this would not be the case if other engines were damaged or if the aircraft sustained significant structural harm.
A Haunting Parallel to 1979
The incident bears unsettling similarities to a 1979 crash at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where 273 people perished when engines of the same General Electric manufacture separated from a plane during flight. improper maintenance was determined to be the cause of that earlier tragedy.
The NTSB will now conduct a complete review of the UPS plane’s complete maintenance records, along with those of its engines and other critical components. UPS has informed the agency that no maintenance was performed on the aircraft immediatly prior to the flight, and that the flight was not delayed. However, flight records indicate the plane underwent maintenance in San Antonio, Texas, for over a month until mid-October, though the specific nature of that work remains unclear.
Struggle to Gain Altitude and Fiery Aftermath
Video footage of the crash suggests the UPS plane struggled to achieve altitude as flames erupted along its left side. The aircraft, destined for Honolulu and carrying a full load of fuel, impacted a building, causing substantial damage.”There’s very little to contain the flames, and really the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb as of the amount of fuel,” noted aviation attorney Pablo Rojas. He added that it is uncertain whether the pilots were aware of the flames, and even if they were, an aborted takeoff could have presented its own dangers.
The crash site, located in an area populated with scrap yards and UPS facilities, narrowly avoided a restaurant and bar and was near a Ford auto assembly plant employing hundreds of workers. Fire officials reported the blaze stretched
