Investigators say they found evidence of fatigue and stress fractures in the hardware that affixed the left engine to the UPS cargo plane that crashed in Louisville earlier this month.
The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Thursday, detailing its investigation so far. The crash killed 14 people and injured 23 more on the ground, some seriously.
The report says airport surveillance video shows the left engine of the MD-11 plane caught fire and detached during takeoff, moments after the front of the plane had already left the ground.
The airplane continued to burn near the left wing while climbing to about 30 feet off the ground. Then, a witness told investigators it rolled slightly to its left before crashing into businesses just south of Muhammad Ali International Airport, including a petroleum recycling facility.
Investigators say during the investigation, they recovered the hardware that secured the left engine to the plane near the runway. Upon cleaning and examination, they’ve found evidence of multiple fatigue and overstress fractures.
UPS maintenance records show that the hardware was listed as being lubricated in mid-October. More reviews called “special detailed inspections” were upcoming, but not yet needed according to the maintenance schedule.
The report says the accident appears similar to another in 1979 when a commercial flight leaving Chicago-O’Hare International Airport crashed into a field. It killed hundreds of passengers and is one of the deadliest airplane accidents in American history.
In that incident, investigators found the left engine also detached and fell on the runway during takeoff.
The NTSB said their investigation is still ongoing.
Gov. Andy Beshear says at least 57 businesses sustained damage in the crash. The owner of two businesses near the fatal plane crash has filed a class action lawsuit against UPS, GE and Boeing. Louisville Metro meanwhile, is seeking payment from UPS for the rapid and long-term response from emergency and cleanup officials.
