Death Toll Rises To 13 In U.S. Cargo Plane Crash; Jet Grounded For Repairs Weeks Before Take-Off

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

LOUISVILLE, USA (Worthy News) – The death toll from Tuesday’s crash of a United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane near Louisville, in the U.S. state of Kentucky, has risen to 13, officials said Thursday, as investigators confirmed the aircraft had been grounded for more than a month for structural repairs before it burst into flames shortly after take-off.

The disaster occurred near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, a key logistics hub in the southern United States and the main global air hub for UPS — the U.S.-based parcel-delivery and freight company that ships millions of packages worldwide each day.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that the fatalities included all three crew members on board and at least ten people on the ground. “There could be more confirmed deaths,” he cautioned, as search and recovery efforts continued.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said one of the victims may have been a child, calling the incident “a devastating tragedy for our community.”

Witnesses described scenes of destruction as the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F freighter, operating as UPS Flight 2976 from Louisville to Honolulu, crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on November 4. The aircraft struck several industrial buildings just beyond the airport perimeter, triggering an explosion and a massive fireball visible for miles.

Representative Morgan McGarvey called the site “apocalyptic,” adding that the crash “will change people’s lives in this community forever.”

Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order within a five-mile (eight-kilometre) radius as firefighters battled blazes fueled by thousands of litres of jet fuel.

ENGINE DETACHED

As rescue operations continued, preliminary findings showed the plane’s left engine detached from its wing during the take-off roll, NTSB board member Todd Inman told reporters, confirming that security-camera recordings supported those observations.

“Airport CCTV footage captured the engine separating before the aircraft became airborne,” he said. “A large plume of fire erupted from the area of the left wing.”

Investigators recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, which are now being analysed in Washington, D.C.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) records, the 34-year-old freighter had been out of service for roughly six weeks in San Antonio, Texas, from September 3 to October 18, for major structural maintenance.

Technicians discovered cracks and corrosion inside the centre-wing fuel tank, a critical section that supports both the fuselage and engines. The aircraft was cleared to return to service after repairs were reportedly completed.

“We are aware that this aircraft was there in San Antonio,” Inman confirmed. “We will look at every piece of maintenance that was done — even from that period all the way to the date of the flight.”

MECHANICAL FAILURE

Investigators are now focusing on whether a mechanical or structural failure linked to the earlier maintenance caused the engine to detach.

Flight-tracking data indicate the plane operated only a handful of routes after resuming service before the fatal crash.

Aviation analysts noted that the MD-11, a three-engine wide-body jet introduced in the early 1990s, has a mixed safety record, with several past cargo incidents involving control-stability issues during take-off and landing.

The UPS aircraft involved — registration N259UP — was among the oldest cargo jets in the company’s global fleet, with decades of service and tens of thousands of flight hours logged.

Amid the ongoing probe and rescue efforts, Governor Beshear declared a state of emergency in Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, and launched the Team Kentucky Emergency Relief Fund to aid the victims’ families and support rebuilding efforts.

“It’s going to help ensure groups that are already limited in terms of funding can get immediate or short-term help,” the governor said.

Fifteen people were hospitalized following the crash; thirteen have since been released, while two remain in critical condition. Several others are still unaccounted for, officials added.

CITY IN MOURNING

Flags across Louisville have been lowered to half-staff in memory of the victims.

“This is one of the darkest days our city has faced,” Mayor Greenberg said.

The NTSB is expected to issue a preliminary report within 30 days, but a full technical investigation — including metallurgical analysis of the detached engine and wing structure — could take up to a year, experts warned.

Louisville’s airport, one of the busiest air-freight facilities in the world, resumed limited operations Thursday.

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