Boeing knew of engine defect on UPS plane that crashed in Kentucky, report says

"A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released Wednesday determined that Boeing warned plane owners about the defect, but did not believe it was a flight safety issue and did not require immediate repairs. Freight companies UPS and FedEx temporarily grounded their fleets of MD-11s, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas before its takeover by Boeing, after the 4 November 2025 crash at Muhammad Ali international airport when an engine on the plane's left wing caught fire and detached."

"The aircraft's crew of three were killed, along with 12 people on the ground, with the most recent person dying on Christmas Day. The crash is the subject of at least one lawsuit, with relatives of a woman who died on the ground claiming UPS was negligent for keeping the MD-11 aircraft in service, despite known maintenance problems. The NTSB previously said that investigators found cracks where the plane's engine connected to its wing."

"The NTSB investigative update published Wednesday revealed that Boeing sent a service letter to MD-11 owners in February 2011 advising of the earlier failure of a spherical bearing race assembly, which helps secure engines to wings, on four occasions, and on three separate aircraft. Boeing did not consider it a safety of flight issue, the report said, and consequently the company recommended only scrutiny of the part during regularly scheduled general inspections, generally every 60 months, instead of immediate rectifying action."

Investigators found that an engine part suspected in the 4 November 2025 Louisville MD-11 crash had failed at least four times on three separate aircraft. An engine on the plane's left wing caught fire and detached, killing the three crew and 12 people on the ground; a later death raised the toll to 15. Boeing notified MD-11 owners in February 2011 about earlier failures of a spherical bearing race assembly that secures engines to wings and recommended inspection during regular general inspections every 60 months rather than immediate corrective action. UPS and FedEx temporarily grounded MD-11 fleets and relatives of victims have filed at least one lawsuit alleging negligence over known maintenance problems.

Read at www.theguardian.com