Posted on 11/20/2025 11:28:20 AM PST by DFG
Shocking new photos from the deadly Kentucky UPS plane crash reveal the moment one engine of the Boeing erupted into flames during takeoff.
The MD-11 jet could be seen falling to pieces on the runway during the Nov. 4 flight, which killed 14 people — all three crew members plus 11 on the ground.
The left engine flies off during takeoff and appears to smash into the fuselage of the plane, according to new photos released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB’s preliminary report found that a pylon that held the engine had “fatigue cracks” and signs of “overstress.”
The cracks were located in the left pylon’s aft mount, which connects the engine to the wing, according to the report.
The bearing that helps secure the connection was also found to have suffered a fracture, the NTSB added.
No signs of pre-existing fractures or deformations were found on the part that connected the engine to the wing, the report noted.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Aviation ping.......😪
Thanks for posting.
Now time to check the maitenance logs and who was handling those activities.
En El Salvador, Senor?................
I flew on one of those models of jets many times, they were newer then. Bad deal when that happens.
The issue of metal fatigue is well known in the jet aircraft maintenance industry.
Aircraft maintenance tests for metal fatigue include
visual inspections, non-destructive methods like ultrasonic and X-ray testing, dye penetrant, and magnetic particle inspection. Newer aircraft also use advanced systems, including fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors that monitor stress, sound, and vibration to detect microscopic cracks early. These techniques are crucial during regular inspections and more comprehensive checks to ensure aircraft safety.
Most commercial jets have rigorous testing and diagnostic schedules as part of standard maintenance operations. Yet, that does not cancel out human error, when execution of even the best plans forget and leave something out.
That video should help in finding the cause.
We have heard of ‘uncontained’ engine failure where the fan blades fly off and puncture the fuselage. This is the first I am hearing of the engine itself detaching form the wing and smashing into the fuselage. How could a serious structural defect like this not get caught during inspection ?
For long term use devices, its best to use a material that has an infinite fatigue life [below certain stress levels anyway].
Union made and operated. Thank you, Unions!
The engine fully separated on American Airlines Flight 191 in 1979, another MD 11 aircraft that crashed. In that case, investigators traced the cause back to improper engine removal procedures during maintenance that caused undo stresses on the wing. The procedure was not authorized and was ordered to be discontinued.
It appears the unauthorized procedure is the same cause in this crash.
Why was this video not released the same day?
I quit flying commercial and private in July 1996, after TWA 800 was shot down. If I can’t drive there, I don’t need to go there.
Same thing happened in Chicago (Ohare) back in the late ‘70s.
Engine mount failure.
Not unknown on this type of plane after a fair amount of use.
Tough to see on a walk-around.
Ain’t much a pilot can do about an engine falling off.
In the Preliminary Report, the NTSB states the cause of the engine departure were fractures in the pylon mount due to fatigue and over-stress.
Technically, AA191 was a DC-10, not an MD-11. Pretty much the same airplane, but the MD-11 is an updated DC-10.
Those are some sad pictures. Godspeed.
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