Overview
- Investigators confirmed fatigue cracking and overstress in the spherical bearing race that secured the left engine to the wing of UPS Flight 2976.
- A Boeing service letter from Feb. 7, 2011 documented four prior bearing race failures on three aircraft and concluded the issue did not pose a safety-of-flight condition.
- The NTSB has opened targeted reviews into how inspections were incorporated, how UPS used the 2011 guidance in maintenance, and Boeing’s communications with the FAA.
- Records show the MD-11’s critical engine-mount parts were last closely examined in October 2021, with the next detailed inspection not due for roughly 7,000 additional cycles.
- Following the Nov. 4, 2025 crash that killed 15, UPS and FedEx grounded MD-11 fleets and the FAA required inspections and corrective action before return to service.