A UPS aircraft crashed on November 4, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. Tragically, there were at least seven fatalities and far more injured when this McDonald Douglas MD-11 aircraft had an engine fire and was unable to ditch the aircraft during takeoff. The dramatic footage of this accident clearly shows that there was an engine fire which was uncontained and should have triggered the fire suppression system, yet that either did not happen or was insufficient. We are investigating this further, and the potential causes which initiated this catastrophic event. Our best wishes go to the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific event and those injured due to this crash. We at The Devers Law Firm are here to answer any questions about the investigative process and next steps.
UPDATE:
New information has been released on this tragic crash. The fatalities now total eleven ground fatalities and the three crew members. According to preliminary investigation information, the engine mount on this MD-11 had cracks which allowed the engine to become liberated during takeoff, resulting in the conflagration which caused this accident. The “lugs” which hold the engine to the pylon to the wing failed, liberating the engine on this 34 year old aircraft. Proper inspections and maintenance should have prevented such a catastrophe even on an aircraft of this age. UPS operates 26 of these aircraft, however the fleet has been grounded at this time pending inspection or retirement. While the National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report, independent analysis of the failures of these attachments will be necessary to fully understand the cause of this horrific accident. Again our thoughts go out to the victims of this incident and their families.