NTSB Press Briefing on Deadly UPS MD-11 Cargo Plane Crash in Kentucky

NTSB Investigation Update

• 🎙️ NTSB Board Member Todd Inman provided an update on the investigation into the UPS MD-11 cargo plane crash near Louisville, Kentucky.
• 🤝 The NTSB is working closely with local authorities and has extended condolences to the families of those affected by the crash.
• 🔍 The primary focus is the recovery of missing individuals, with family assistance groups providing support throughout the investigation.

Parties to the Investigation

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The NTSB has established a party process, inviting entities with relevant expertise to assist.
• ✈️ Parties include the Federal Aviation Authority, United Parcel Service, the Independent Pilots Association, the Teamsters Union, Boeing Corporation, and GE Aircraft Engines.
• 🔬 A multi-disciplinary team of over 30 NTSB specialists, including vehicle performance specialists and materials engineers, is on-site.

Preliminary Findings and Data

• 📊 Preliminary flight data from ADSB shows the aircraft at 475 ft altitude traveling at 183 knots at 5:13 AM EST on the night of the accident.
• ⚙️ A Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Walk on runway 17R recovered multiple pieces of engine fan blades and the main component of the number one engine.
• 🗄️ Both the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have been successfully recovered and data extracted, providing approximately 63 hours of FDR data and 2 hours of CVR audio.

Maintenance and Aircraft History

• 🛠️ The NTSB is reviewing maintenance records, including a six-week period the aircraft spent in San Antonio, Texas.
• 🚫 UPS has stated that no maintenance work was performed on the aircraft immediately prior to the flight that would have caused a delay.
• 🧐 Investigators are examining reports of potential repairs to fuel tanks and other parts of the plane, assessing if they met safety criteria.

Aircraft Type and Future Recommendations

• 📈 The NTSB is reviewing the maintenance history and checks for the MD-11 aircraft type.
• ⚠️ While no urgent safety concerns have been identified to date, the NTSB is prepared to make urgent recommendations if any life-safety issues are discovered.
• ✈️ The investigation will determine if fleet-wide inspections or different maintenance protocols are necessary for the MD-11.