US Investigators Find Boeing Knew About Engine Defect on UPS Plane Before Crash in Kentucky
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that Boeing knew about a defective engine part that may have contributed to the fatal crash of a UPS cargo plane in Louisville, Kentucky, last November. The report states that Boeing had previously warned plane owners about the issue, but did not believe it was a significant safety concern and therefore did not require immediate repairs.
The investigation found that the engine part, a spherical bearing race assembly, had failed on four separate occasions on three different aircraft before the UPS MD-11F plane crashed into an industrial complex, killing 15 people. The report notes that Boeing sent a service letter to MD-11 owners in February 2011 advising of the earlier failures, but recommended only regular scrutiny of the part during scheduled inspections, rather than immediate action.
The NTSB has raised questions about how UPS incorporated this information and whether it was sufficient to prevent the crash. The agency's investigation also found that the cracks where the plane's engine connected to its wing were not spotted during the most recent maintenance inspection, highlighting concerns about the reliability of pre-flight checks.
Boeing has faced criticism for its handling of safety issues in the past, including a 1979 accident involving an American Airlines DC-10 that killed all 271 people on board. The incident led to the global grounding of the fleet before it was deemed safe again after repairs were made.
The UPS plane's crash has sparked lawsuits and outrage over the company's decision to keep the MD-11 aircraft in service despite known maintenance problems. Relatives of a woman who died on the ground have claimed that UPS was negligent for continuing to operate the planes with faulty engine components.
As investigators continue to probe the cause of the crash, Boeing remains tight-lipped about its response to the defect and its handling of safety concerns. The company's spokesperson has released a statement expressing condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and supporting the NTSB investigation.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that Boeing knew about a defective engine part that may have contributed to the fatal crash of a UPS cargo plane in Louisville, Kentucky, last November. The report states that Boeing had previously warned plane owners about the issue, but did not believe it was a significant safety concern and therefore did not require immediate repairs.
The investigation found that the engine part, a spherical bearing race assembly, had failed on four separate occasions on three different aircraft before the UPS MD-11F plane crashed into an industrial complex, killing 15 people. The report notes that Boeing sent a service letter to MD-11 owners in February 2011 advising of the earlier failures, but recommended only regular scrutiny of the part during scheduled inspections, rather than immediate action.
The NTSB has raised questions about how UPS incorporated this information and whether it was sufficient to prevent the crash. The agency's investigation also found that the cracks where the plane's engine connected to its wing were not spotted during the most recent maintenance inspection, highlighting concerns about the reliability of pre-flight checks.
Boeing has faced criticism for its handling of safety issues in the past, including a 1979 accident involving an American Airlines DC-10 that killed all 271 people on board. The incident led to the global grounding of the fleet before it was deemed safe again after repairs were made.
The UPS plane's crash has sparked lawsuits and outrage over the company's decision to keep the MD-11 aircraft in service despite known maintenance problems. Relatives of a woman who died on the ground have claimed that UPS was negligent for continuing to operate the planes with faulty engine components.
As investigators continue to probe the cause of the crash, Boeing remains tight-lipped about its response to the defect and its handling of safety concerns. The company's spokesperson has released a statement expressing condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and supporting the NTSB investigation.
. I mean, you'd think they'd be proactive about fixing something like that ASAP, right? But nope, they just kinda let it slide and told plane owners to keep an eye out for it during regular inspections. That's not exactly the level of transparency and urgency I'd expect from a major airline 
. And now we're left wondering how UPS was handling this info and whether that contributed to the crash... so much is at play here, it's just too much 
did they really just ignore it like that? 
and now there's all these lawsuits and people are super upset with UPS for flying those planes with known problems... i feel bad for the families who lost loved ones 
. Boeing is always getting a bad rep when it comes to safety, remember that 1979 accident on an American Airlines plane? 
it's just not cool 
But at the same time, isn't it true that planes can fail in mid-air due to random mechanical issues? Like, what are the chances of this exact thing happening with UPS? 
Those 15 people did die and I feel bad for them... but is this really Boeing's fault or was it just a freak accident? 
and on top of that, who checks those maintenance inspections anyway? seems like there are a lot of holes in this whole thing. hopefully they can get some answers out of Boeing soon
and then UPS is all like "nah, we're good" 
. it's just so frustrating because like, why didn't they do more? 
I mean, four separate failures on different planes? that's just not right 
... maybe it was just one of those things where everyone was like "oh, it's probably fine" 
. idk, it's just so hard to say 
And what's with the service letter in 2011? Wasn't that enough to get MD-11 owners to do some actual maintenance? 
It's all about prioritizing profits over people. 
this is just so sad 
it's like they're still grieving and wondering why their loved one had to go through that tragedy 
how could they not make this a priority? 
the fact that UPS was aware of the problem but kept flying the planes anyway is just shocking 
i hope the NTSB investigation gets to the bottom of this and holds Boeing accountable 
we need more accountability in our aviation industry so something like this never happens again 
and now we've got innocent people dead 
This whole thing just stinks 
and I'm not buying all this "it was an isolated incident" stuff 
the whole thing stinks of negligence, imo.
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we need to keep pushing for stricter regulations and better oversight, so this kind of tragedy never happens again 
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. Like, how could they not take action to prevent such a tragedy? 
. Can you even imagine being on that plane and wondering if it was gonna make it or not?