Overview
- A preliminary cockpit voice recorder review found a repeating bell about 37 seconds after takeoff thrust and roughly 25 seconds of crew attempts to control the MD-11 before the recording ended.
- Video and on-site examination indicate the left engine separated from the wing during the takeoff roll, and investigators recovered fan blade pieces, pylon parts and other components from the runway and nearby grass.
- Data from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were successfully extracted, with a written CVR transcript to follow as the NTSB builds a timeline of events.
- Officials confirm 13 fatalities, including the three UPS pilots, and report nine people remain unaccounted for as teams search a half-mile debris field and work to identify victims.
- The NTSB is reviewing the aircraft’s recent maintenance history, including FAA-documented repairs to a cracked center wing fuel tank in September, and nearby property owners filed a class-action lawsuit alleging negligence by UPS, General Electric and Boeing.