Overview
- Wreckage analysis found the left engine and pylon separated just after liftoff, with airport video showing the detachment followed by a fire near the wing attachment.
- The failed part was a roughly 3-inch spherical bearing race in the left pylon aft mount that fractured with about 75% fatigue cracking and the remainder consistent with overstress.
- A Boeing service letter from Feb. 7, 2011 documented four prior bearing-race failures on three MD-11s, recommended 60‑month visual inspections and an optional redesigned part, and did not classify the issue as a safety‑of‑flight condition.
- The NTSB is reviewing how the 2011 guidance was integrated into maintenance programs, UPS’s records, and Boeing–FAA correspondence, and it has not assigned a probable cause as the investigation continues.
- Following the Nov. 4, 2025 crash that killed 15, the FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive grounding MD-11s and later related types, with flight data showing No. 1 engine parameters became unreliable and a fire indication about 20 seconds before the end of recorded data.