Who: A UPS cargo aircraft and nearby workers and residents. When: the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at about 5:15 p.m. Where: departing UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Kentucky. What happened: a left-wing fire and the detachment of an engine occurred during the takeoff roll; the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 crashed, exploded and ignited nearby businesses. Result: investigators say at least 12 people were killed, including a child, multiple people were treated for burns, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered flight recorders and the detached engine for a lengthy inquiry.
Key Takeaways
- The crash occurred at about 5:15 p.m. ET on Nov. 4, 2025, as UPS Flight departing for Honolulu rolled down the runway from UPS Worldport in Louisville.
- At least 12 people died, including a child found at a nearby auto-parts yard; two patients were in critical condition and 18 were treated and discharged from local hospitals.
- NTSB investigators reported a large fire in the plane’s left wing during takeoff and airport footage shows the left engine separating from the wing during the takeoff roll.
- Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder; the detached engine was found on the airfield and debris extended roughly half a mile from the runway.
- The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 built in 1991; flight records show it was on the ground in San Antonio from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18, 2025, and recent heavy maintenance was noted in initial reports.
- The crash sparked secondary explosions and fires at nearby businesses, including Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, worsening the scene and complicating rescue efforts.
- UPS Worldport is the company’s largest hub, employing more than 20,000 locally, handling about 300 flights daily and sorting over 400,000 packages per hour; the facility’s operations and local economy face short- and medium-term disruption.
Background
UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is the global sorting and distribution hub that anchors UPS’s overnight air network. The hub handles hundreds of daily flights and processes hundreds of thousands of parcels each hour, making it a critical node for both local employment and national logistics. The MD-11 involved was a freighter variant derived from the DC-10 family; that lineage matters because a high-profile 1979 DC-10 accident also involved an engine detaching on takeoff and was ultimately attributed to maintenance-related failures.
Federal oversight of commercial aircraft safety in the United States places the NTSB in charge of accident investigation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the regulator overseeing airworthiness and operator compliance. When an accident involves structural separation, engines, or major fires, investigators focus on maintenance records, recent repairs, structural attachments, and systems that could allow fuel or hydraulic lines to ignite. The MD-11 fleet is aging; manufacturers and operators face heightened scrutiny when long-in-service airframes suffer in-flight structural failures.
Main Event
The aircraft began its takeoff roll after receiving clearance, but witnesses and surveillance footage show a sudden and large fire developing in the left wing. NTSB member Todd Inman told reporters that airport security video captured the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll, and that the fire intensified before the airframe gained just enough altitude to clear the perimeter fence and then descended beyond the airport boundary.
Responders arriving at the charred crash site faced an intense inferno that consumed the MD-11 and spread to adjacent properties, triggering smaller secondary explosions at a petroleum recycling facility and an auto salvage yard. Officials described a debris field that extended roughly half a mile and said parts of the aircraft were scattered in multiple locations, including the detached engine found on the airfield.
Local officials and emergency teams searched for survivors amid heavy fire and wreckage. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Gov. Andy Beshear warned that finding survivors was unlikely; crews continued to recover human remains and clear debris. Hospitals treated burn victims and other injured people from the surrounding area, and at least one runway was reopened the next day as airport operations gradually resumed.
Analysis & Implications
An engine separating from a wing during takeoff is among the most serious mechanical failures, because it can sever fuel and hydraulic lines, produce catastrophic asymmetric thrust, and ignite intense fires that compromise flight control surfaces. Early statements from former investigators note technical parallels to the 1979 American Airlines DC-10 accident at O’Hare, where improper maintenance contributed to a left-engine separation and large loss of life. Those parallels raise immediate questions about recent maintenance, attachment hardware, and inspection records for this MD-11.
NTSB recovery of both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder is a critical step: forensic analysis will reveal crew actions, system warnings, and parametric data on engine performance and airframe loads up to the moment of failure. However, NTSB cautions that reaching definitive conclusions often takes more than a year and will require metallurgical examinations, review of maintenance logs, and possibly testing of components and manufacturing records.
Beyond the technical inquiry, the crash has regulatory and economic implications. If maintenance or inspection shortcomings are identified, the FAA could mandate airworthiness directives, operators may ground similar aircraft for inspection, and insurers and the freight industry could face ripple effects. Locally, the loss of life, damage to nearby businesses and the temporary disruption of the Worldport hub may affect supply chains and employment in the short term.
Comparison & Data
| Event | Year | Aircraft | Primary issue | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines crash (O’Hare) | 1979 | DC-10 | Left engine separation; maintenance-related failure | 273 |
| UPS Worldport crash | 2025 | MD-11 (freighter) | Left-wing fire and engine detachment (under investigation) | At least 12 |
The table highlights both technological lineage (DC-10/MD-11 family) and divergent outcomes; investigators will assess whether common hardware, engines (General Electric models were noted in both historical comparisons), or maintenance practices contributed. Contextually, modern investigation techniques and stricter regulatory frameworks aim to reduce recurrence, but aged airframes with intensive duty cycles present ongoing inspection challenges.
Reactions & Quotes
The crash prompted immediate official, expert and community responses, balancing condolences with calls for a full forensic investigation.
“Finding survivors seemed unlikely as first responders searched the charred area.”
Gov. Andy Beshear (Kentucky, official)
“Security video shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll.”
Todd Inman (NTSB member, official)
“It was like somebody was bombing us—explosions shook the building three times.”
Lynn Cason (manager, nearby business, eyewitness)
Unconfirmed
- Whether the three UPS crew members were included in the publicly reported death toll remains unclear in early reports and is being clarified by authorities.
- The precise maintenance actions performed while the aircraft was on the ground in San Antonio from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18, 2025, and any link to the accident have not been confirmed.
- Specific mechanical causes for the left-wing fire and engine separation — such as a failed pylon bolt, fuel-line rupture, or other component failure — remain under investigation and unproven at this stage.
Bottom Line
This crash at UPS Worldport is both a local human tragedy and the start of a complex technical investigation. Early evidence—security video, recovered engine and flight recorders, and witness accounts—points to a left-wing fire and engine separation during the takeoff roll, but definitive causes will take many months of forensic work to establish.
Families, nearby businesses and the logistics network tied to the Louisville hub face immediate impacts: loss of life, property damage, and disruption to a key freight node. Regulators and industry participants will be watching the NTSB findings closely; if maintenance or design issues are identified, the consequences could include targeted inspections, operational restrictions, and revised maintenance protocols for similar aircraft.
Sources
- Associated Press (news report)
- National Transportation Safety Board (official investigative agency)
- UPS (company statement / corporate)
- Office of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (official statement)
- University of Louisville Hospital (healthcare provider)