Overview
- Authorities say 14 people died, including the three pilots, after the UPS MD-11 crashed shortly after takeoff and struck nearby businesses, triggering a massive blaze.
- NTSB officials report a cockpit alarm sounded shortly after takeoff thrust was applied, the left No. 1 engine detached, and the left wing was burning; the cause remains undetermined and the cockpit voice transcript will take months.
- Boeing urged operators to suspend MD-11 flights for additional engineering analysis, and UPS and FedEx grounded their MD-11 fleets, which represent about 9% and 4% of their aircraft, respectively; Western Global Airlines also flies the type.
- Dashcam, security, and social-media videos, including a widely shared clip on X by Ezequiel Sicardi, appear to show the aircraft missing its left engine before impact.
- Flight records indicate the 1991-built jet spent more than a month in maintenance in San Antonio until mid-October, and UPS says Worldport night operations have resumed as investigators recover wreckage and analyze data.