UPS Airlines Flight 2976

UPS Airlines Flight 2976 was a cargo flight in the United States that traveled from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky to Honolulu, Hawaii. On November 4, 2025, the airplane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had a serious problem during takeoff. The left engine came apart, and the plane crashed shortly after leaving the runway.

Unfortunately, the crash led to the loss of all three crew members on the plane and twelve people on the ground. One of these individuals passed away later in December from their injuries.

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into what happened to help prevent similar accidents in the future. Because of this event, UPS decided to stop using its remaining MD-11 airplanes in January 2026.

Background

UPS Airlines is the United States' second-largest cargo airline. It began in 1988 and had only two serious accidents before Flight 2976. Flight 2976 was a cargo flight from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The plane was a 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11F. It had three engines and had flown many hours before the accident. The crew included experienced pilots and a relief officer.

Victims

The crash was the deadliest in UPS Airlines history, taking the lives of 15 people: all three crew members on the aircraft and twelve others on the ground. Among those lost were a three-year-old child and her grandfather. After the accident, 23 people were known to have been injured, with two injuries being serious and the rest minor.

This accident is the second-deadliest crash involving an MD-11, following the 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111.^{[citation needed]}

Aftermath

All flights to and from the airport were canceled right after the crash. Authorities asked people living near the airport to stay inside their homes for safety. Firefighters worked to put out the fire, and schools were closed the next day.

Later, the airport reopened one of its runways, and flights began again. Some airlines temporarily stopped using certain planes to check for safety. This caused delays for some cargo shipments across the country.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are looking into what happened. They sent a special team to help figure out more details. They found important recording devices from the airplane that can tell them what the pilots were saying and what the plane was doing.

Early reports show that the part connecting the engine to the wing had small cracks caused by repeated stress over time. Experts are studying these findings to understand why the engine came off and to help prevent similar accidents in the future. They also looked at past airplane accidents to see if they can learn from them.