LOUISVILLE, Ky. — FAA maintenance records reveal that the UPS cargo plane involved in the Nov. 4, 2025, fatal crash had previously undergone a crack repair on its left engine pylon in 2019.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), most of that pylon remained attached to the engine when it detached from the aircraft during its takeoff roll at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Investigators noted similarities between this incident and the 1979 American Airlines Flight 191 disaster at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where a DC-10’s left engine detached during takeoff, leading to a crash that killed 273 people. The DC-10 was the predecessor to the MD-11, the same model involved in the UPS crash. Improper maintenance was cited as a factor in the 1979 tragedy.
The NTSB has sent a team to ST Engineering’s maintenance facility in San Antonio, which handles contract maintenance for UPS, to review service records. The ill-fated aircraft underwent six weeks of maintenance there beginning in September, where corrosion and a crack were reportedly repaired, according to FAA documents.
ST Engineering has maintained a long-standing relationship with UPS. A Boeing press release stated that the company converted UPS’s MD-11 fleet from passenger planes to freighters starting in 2001. It also opened a Pensacola, Florida facility in 2018 to service UPS’s 757 fleet. The company did not respond to WAVE’s request for comment on Friday.
In a recent SEC filing, UPS disclosed plans to retire a third MD-11 from its fleet by year’s end, after retiring two earlier this year, as it continues to evaluate the future of its aging aircraft.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Comment