Boeing raised alarms in 2011 about a faulty part linked to a tragic UPS plane crash. This crash, which occurred in November 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky, took the lives of 15 people, including three pilots. Shortly after takeoff, the plane’s left engine detached, causing it to crash into an industrial area.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that Boeing knew of prior issues with the part securing MD-11 engines. Despite this knowledge, they deemed it didn’t pose a safety risk at the time. This MD-11 was originally built by McDonnell Douglas, which Boeing later acquired.
During the investigation, NTSB found cracks in the engine mounts that went unnoticed during routine maintenance. The last detailed inspection was in October 2021, with the next one not scheduled for thousands of takeoffs. This raised major concerns about maintenance practices.
Interestingly, this incident mirrors a disaster from 1979 when a DC-10 engine detached during takeoff in Chicago, killing 273 people. That crash led to the grounding of all DC-10s until safety measures were implemented. In that case, maintenance problems were identified, but experts were surprised Boeing didn’t classify the MD-11 issues as a safety concern nearly 40 years later.
Former FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti questioned Boeing’s judgment. He noted that past service bulletins recognized similar failures as safety hazards. “It raises questions about whether Boeing was taking these issues seriously,” he pointed out.
The NTSB also highlighted that Boeing’s service bulletin didn’t mandate repairs—a directive from the FAA would have required stricter actions. Instead, the bulletin allowed faulty parts to be replaced with older, less reliable versions. This approach could have dire consequences, as suggested by experts like Alan Diehl, who mentioned it highlights the need for better maintenance practices for older aircraft.
After the incident, investigations are focused on whether the bearing failure truly caused the engine to come loose. While preliminary findings point in this direction, the complete report won’t be available for over a year. This delay raises concerns as the first lawsuit related to the crash has already been filed, scrutinizing what Boeing and UPS knew about the warnings.
The MD-11 involved in the crash was 34 years old, and the aging aircraft type has been phased out by airlines in favor of more efficient models. However, cargo carriers like UPS still use these older planes. The NTSB’s findings have led to groundings of all MD-11s and related models since the accident, prompting discussions about the safety of using such old aircraft.
The catastrophic nature of this crash has sparked conversations about the adequacy of past regulations and the state of aging airlines today. As more details emerge, it’s clear that both the industry and regulatory bodies must reassess how they maintain and monitor older aircraft to prevent future tragedies.
For ongoing developments, you can refer to trusted sources such as the [NTSB](https://www.ntsb.gov) and [FAA](https://www.faa.gov) for official updates.
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