2-day NTSB hearing on UPS plane crash in Louisville begins
May 19 (UPI) — The National Transportation Safety Board began its two-day hearing on Tuesday on the deadly UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Ky., that killed 15 people on Nov. 4.
The NTSB released the agenda of the hearing as soon as it began at 8 a.m. EDT in Washington, D.C. The hearing will continue to 6 p.m. Tuesday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the NTSB Boardroom and Conference Center in Washington.
The NTSB has investigative hearings to find the facts and circumstances of transportation accidents or incidents under investigation, a press release said. The hearing is open to the public, but only NTSB board members, investigators, witnesses and parties to the hearing are allowed to participate.
The crash is the deadliest in the history of UPS. All three crew members on UPS Flight 2976 died, as well as 12 others on the ground, several of whom were working or shopping at nearby businesses. The crash also injured about 23 others.
The NTSB’s preliminary report showed that fatigued and overly stressed connecting pylons likely caused the left engine to detach from the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. The engine fell from the aircraft as it was taking off from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The aircraft crashed into the ground and burst into flames. The fully fueled flight was intended for Honolulu.
The preliminary report said cracks caused by fatigue and signs of excessive mechanical stress were found in the pylon that connected the left engine to the wing. The plane was 34 years old and had recently undergone maintenance in San Antonio.
The engine-mounting hardware was last inspected in October 2021. It wasn’t due for another inspection until the aircraft completed 7,000 more flights, the NTSB said. The preliminary report showed no apparent pilot errors.
The NTSB invited several groups to participate in the hearing: the Federal Aviation Administration, UPS, The Boeing Company, GE Aerospace, Teamsters Airline Division, Independent Pilots Association and Collins Aerospace.
The hearing panel includes accident investigators and engineers. They will hear from nine witnesses on Tuesday. A new panel will hear from four witnesses from the FAA and Boeing on Wednesday.
In January, UPS announced it was retiring all MD-11 planes and was reducing its workforce by 30,000.
