UPS Airlines Flight 2976

UPS Airlines Flight 2976 was a scheduled domestic cargo flight from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to Honolulu, Hawaii. On November 4, 2025, the aircraft operating the flight, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, suffered a separation of its left engine during its takeoff roll and crashed into an industrial area seconds after liftoff from the runway, at about 5:13 p.m. local time. The crash killed fourteen people, including all three crew members on board the aircraft. The accident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

UPS Airlines is the United States' second-largest cargo airline (after FedEx Express).^[2] Founded in 1988, the company had suffered two fatal accidents before Flight 2976: UPS Airlines Flight 6 in 2010 and UPS Airlines Flight 1354 in 2013, each of which killed two people.^{[3] [4]}

Flight 2976 was a scheduled domestic cargo flight operated by UPS Airlines, from their hub in Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, an 8.5-hour flight.^{[5] [6]}

The aircraft, N259UP, was a 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11F with manufacturer serial number 48417. The aircraft was first delivered to Thai Airways International in 1991 with the registration HS-TME,^[7] after which it was converted to a cargo aircraft and delivered to UPS Airlines in 2006. It was equipped with three General Electric CF6-80C2D1F engines.^{[8] [9] [10]} Two months before the crash, it had been grounded for six weeks to repair a cracked fuel tank, and corrosion was later found along two structural beams in the fuselage. The aircraft re-entered service a few weeks before the crash.^[11]

The crew consisted of Captain Richard Wartenberg, 57, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who served with the 445th Airlift Wing;^[12] a co-pilot, First Officer Lee Truitt, 45; and a relief officer, Captain Dana Diamond, 62.^{[13] [14]}

The aircraft took off from runway 17R, heading south, at about 5:13 p.m. EST (UTC−5). Weather at the time was described as "pretty fair".^[15] According to initial flight tracking data, the aircraft reached an altitude of 175 feet (53 m)^[16] and a maximum ground speed of 186 knots (344 km/h; 214 mph).^[9]

The left engine separated from the wing during the takeoff roll and was found later on the grass beside runway 17R. Seconds after becoming airborne, the MD-11's left wing caught fire. The aircraft began banking to the left and entered a sharp descent.^{[17] [18]} The jet struck the roof of a UPS Supply Chain warehouse, leaving a 300-foot (90 m) gash. Its left wing then hit a stand of fuel tanks at the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling company's depot^[15] causing a fire to erupt and the aircraft to roll more than 90 degrees to the left. Finally, the airplane crashed into a semi-truck parking area and an auto scrap yard, Grade A Auto Parts,^{[19] [20]} with its landing gear still extended.^[21] The debris field stretched for one-half mile (800 m).^[15] The flight was not carrying hazardous cargo.^[22]

Bystander videos show the aircraft taking off with its number one (left) engine absent and the left wing engulfed in flames. Video analysis shows that the number two (tail-mounted) engine also suffered some sort of fault, with flames shooting out of the engine, possibly caused by foreign object debris from engine one inducing a compressor stall.^[23]

Multiple buildings were set on fire or destroyed and there were reports of people being trapped inside.^{[24] [25]}

Two employees of the auto yard were initially reported as unaccounted for, and it was unknown how many customers were on the premises.^[26]

• A dashcam still of the plane seconds before impact, after striking a UPS warehouse; with the left wing on fire and the absence of the left engine just visible.[a]
  A dashcam still of the plane seconds before impact, after striking a UPS warehouse; with the left wing on fire and the absence of the left engine just visible.^[a]
• The crash viewed from a CCTV camera
• UPS Flight 2976 Flight Data from November 4, 2025
  UPS Flight 2976 flight data from November 4, 2025^[28]
• UPS 2976 moments before crashing
  UPS 2976 moments before crashing

The crash was the deadliest in UPS Airlines history, killing all three crew members on board the aircraft and another eleven on the ground.^{[29] [3] [4]}

Fifteen families initially reported missing relatives. On November 6, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg reported that six of the missing had been accounted for, leaving nine still missing.^[30] Two days later, Greenberg said that the missing people were believed to have been found.^[31]

The day after the crash, a spokesperson reported that fifteen people had been treated at UofL Health facilities, all but two of whom had been discharged.^{[32] [33]}

All flights to and from the airport were immediately canceled.^[22] Louisville-Jefferson County Emergency Management issued a shelter-in-place order centered on the airport with a radius of 5 miles (8 km). This was later reduced to 1 mi (1,600 m). Wireless Emergency Alert messages were issued to those in the shelter-in-place area. At the last briefing of the day, Mayor Greenberg said that more than 100 firefighters were at the scene. Local police officials said families should not seek loved ones at hospitals, to avoid overwhelming them, but to visit a reunification center at the police training academy.^{[34] [35]} UPS temporarily suspended operations at its Worldport air hub.^[36] The fire was nearly contained by 10:30 p.m., freeing up first responders to search for victims.^[37] All public schools in the Jefferson County School District were closed the day after the crash.^[16]

The radius of the shelter-in-place order was reduced for the third time, effective at 7:30 a.m. on November 5, centered near 7501 Grade Lane, to 1⁄4 mi (400 m).^[38] The Louisville Metro Government set up a website for people to report and document debris, which they were urged not to touch, and numerous departures were delayed or canceled.^[38] At 7:40 a.m., Louisville International Airport announced that Runway 11/29 was open.^[39] UPS resumed operations from Louisville later that day.^[40] The incident runway, 17R/35L, was reopened around 4:45 p.m. EST on November 6, returning the airfield to full operational status.^[41]

On November 8, UPS, FedEx, and Western Global Airlines temporarily grounded their respective MD-11 fleets "out of an abundance of caution" following instructions from their manufacturer, Boeing (inherited from McDonnell Douglas).^[42] UPS operates 26 MD-11s, a small fraction of its fleet of over 500 aircraft, while FedEx has 28 MD-11s in a fleet of more than 700.^{[43] [44] [11]} The FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) for MD-11 aircraft requiring inspections and any applicable corrective actions before flight. No corrective actions have been specified so far, effectively grounding the entire MD-11 fleet indefinitely.^{[45] [46]}

The temporary grounding of the MD-11 fleet disrupted overnight cargo operations at several major U.S. airports, including Memphis, Dallas–Fort Worth, and Ontario, California, causing short-term delays in supply chains reliant on express freight. The incident occurred during the 2025 federal government shutdown, which strained staffing at aviation agencies and led regulators to impose traffic reductions and operational limits. Observers stated that these conditions complicated logistics and could slow non-urgent investigatory and regulatory work. Industry and government sources urged expedited inspections to minimize economic losses.^{[47] [48] [49]}

Morgan & Morgan announced the first lawsuit filed by two plaintiffs against the UPS Company, the Boeing Company, and General Electric for criminal negligence in federal court on November 7.^[50] The Morgan & Morgan lawyers said the air crash "acted like a bomb". One plaintiff, Shakeara Ware, lives in a home that was shaken by the crash, and suffered smoke inhalation. The other plaintiff, David Ensey Jr., claimed property damage to two businesses he owns, an auto repair shop called Triple D, Inc., and another company called Ensey LLC. The lawsuit claims the CF6 engine and the aircraft model had a long history of fatal design and catastrophic failure, and alleges that the aircraft model has the second-worst safety record among commercial aircraft.^{[51] [52]} On November 12, the Morgan & Morgan lawyers had retained over 60 civilians that were also affected by the crash to join this lawsuit. Morgan & Morgan lawyers are seeking punitive and compensatory damages as well for fees and a jury trial.^[53] Another lawsuit was pending from the Whiteford Taylor & Preston and Peterson Law firms, and they will plan to file a potential lawsuit on behalf of the victim to investigate this disaster.^[54]

Kentucky U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul expressed their condolences to the victims.^[55] A town hall meeting in Louisville with U.S. Senate candidate Nate Morris started with a moment of silence following the accident.^[56] Representative Morgan McGarvey expressed appreciation for the bravery of the first responders at the scene.^[57] State flags were flown at half-staff.^[15] UPS CEO Carol Tomé expressed her sadness over the accident and thanked the UPS team in Louisville for their professionalism.^[13]

The Big Four Bridge crossing the Ohio River between Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana, was illuminated in yellow, one of the main colors used by UPS, in solidarity.^[58]

Teamsters Local 89, which represents transportation and warehouse workers including UPS, held a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of the crash at the local union hall, which began with a moment of silence at 5:14 p.m., marking the time of the crash.^[59]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the crash along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).^[60] The NTSB launched a go-team of 28 personnel.^[61] At a media briefing held on November 5, with board member Todd Inman serving as the on-scene spokesperson,^[62] they announced the recovery of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder.^[35] UPS Airlines announced it was in close contact with and cooperating with the NTSB and the FAA.^[13]

On November 6, NTSB officials announced that the last ADS-B message, received at 5:13:32 p.m. EST (UTC−5), showed the aircraft had reached a maximum speed of 183 knots (339 km/h; 211 mph) and an altitude of 475 feet (145 m) above sea level, about 100 feet (30 m) above ground level. They also said they had downloaded the flight's data from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.^[63] An NTSB spokesman said the CVR audio contained a persistent bell sound.^[64]

• 2025 in aviation
• American Airlines Flight 191 (1979), a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 (a direct predecessor of the MD-11) that crashed into a building after the left engine fell off during take-off^{[65] [66] [67] [68]}
• List of accidents and incidents involving airliners in the United States § Kentucky
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• NTSB investigation page

• 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky
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