"The cargo plane got only 30 feet off the ground before crashing shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB released dramatic photos of the left engine flying up and over the wing as the plane rolled down the runway, moments before it crashed and exploded in a massive fireball. The cargo plane was bound for Honolulu with a full load of jet fuel. Fifteen people were killed, including all three pilots on the plane."
"Investigators at the NTSB have not said what they think caused the crash, but they released an investigative update in January focusing additional attention on the mounting system that attaches the engine to the wing of the MD-11. Investigators said a spherical bearing that had cracked on Flight 2976 had also failed four previous times on other planes. The NTSB says Boeing had warned plane owners in 2011 about the problem."
"At the time, Boeing did not believe the problem posed a threat to flight safety, investigators wrote. But the company did update the service manual for the MD-11 to include a visual inspection of the spherical bearing that had failed. "We continue to support the investigation led by the NTSB, including the upcoming investigative hearing. We extend our deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones in this accident," a Boeing spokesperson said in an email to NPR."
"The agenda for the two-day hearing at NTSB headquarters will include testimony from witnesses from UPS, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all MD-11s shortly after the crash pending further investigation."
A fact-finding hearing will be held to determine what caused the deadly crash of UPS Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky, in November. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane lifted only about 30 feet before crashing shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Dramatic images show the left engine moving over the wing as the aircraft rolled down the runway before exploding in a fireball. The flight carried jet fuel to Honolulu and killed 15 people, including all three pilots. The NTSB has focused attention on the engine mounting system and a spherical bearing that cracked and had failed multiple times on other planes. Boeing had warned owners in 2011 and later updated inspection guidance, while the FAA grounded all MD-11s pending investigation.
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]