Horrific new photos show engine ripping off UPS plane moments before cargo jet exploded and killed 14 – but key mystery remains

A UPS plane engine was seen tearing off a wing and flying through the air just before the jet hit a fireball in Kentucky, killing 14 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report Thursday into the devastating Nov. 4 incident on a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft that killed three crew members and 11 people on the ground.

The horrifying images included in the report showed that a huge fire broke out on UPS flight 2976, departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, and one of the plane’s three engines was separated.

It is not yet known why the engine separated. The report outlined how the pylon (the part that connects the engine to the wing) separated from the pylon as the plane roared down the runway during takeoff.

According to the NTSB investigation, a fire broke out in the left engine ‘as it rose above the fuselage and then hit the ground.’

Released photos show flames breaking out a few seconds after the engine separated; This suggests that the fire may have started when the separated engine hit a fuel-filled wing.

Despite the fire engulfing the cargo plane’s left side, the plane breached the airport’s fence but never rose more than 30 ft above the ground, the report said.

A few seconds later it crashed in a massive fireball.

Huge cloud of fiery smoke seen in the air following devastating plane crash

The report included statements from two witnesses at the Air Traffic Control tower who told the NTSB that the MD-11’s speed appeared normal.

Witnesses said the plane was flying normally into the sky “before rolling slightly to the left,” according to the report.

Following the fatal crash, federal investigators discovered that the plane’s left pylon airwell, which helps hold the engine in place, had ‘fatigue cracks in addition to areas of surge failure,’ according to the report.

Among those who died in the accident were Louisnes Fedon and her three-year-old granddaughter Kimberly Asa.

Another victim was identified as 37-year-old Matt Sweets, who survived the initial explosion but later succumbed to his injuries after 95 percent of his body was burned.

John Spray, 45, tragically lost his life when the plane crashed into Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling, where he was working at the time.

Ella Petty Whorton, 31, also died while working at a recycling business owned by Spray.

Beloved mother Angela Anderson (45), Carlos Fernandez (52), Trinadette Chavez (37), Tony Crain (65), John Loucks (52) and Megan Washburn (35) also died in the accident.

Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and First Officer Dana Diamond also died along with First Officer Lee Truitt and Captain Dana Diamond.

UPS has ‘temporarily grounded’ its MD-11 fleet following the tragedy, the company announced.

Among those who died in the accident were Louisnes Fedon and her three-year-old granddaughter Kimberly Asa.

Matt Sweets, pictured here, survived the initial explosion but later succumbed to his injuries after 95 percent of his body was burned.

Beloved mother Angela Anderson (45) also died in the accident

“For safety and precautionary purposes, we have decided to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet,” UPS said in a statement.

“We made this decision proactively upon the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer,” the statement said.

‘Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve. Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to provide our customers around the world with the reliable service we rely on.’

While the fatal crash of Flight 2976 remains under investigation, aviation experts shared disturbing details about the MD-11 jet.

‘The model was outdated when it came out; Of course, excluding shipping. “This is a workhorse,” said Mary Schiavo, former Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation. USA Today.

The MD-11 has the second-worst safety record of all commercial aircraft currently in use, according to Boeing data released in April.

The model was launched as a passenger jet in 1990, but due to low fuel efficiency and high maintenance costs, it was removed from commercial flights in 2014 and has been used only as a cargo aircraft since then.

“It had the reputation of being a difficult plane to land,” Ross Aimer, CEO of Aero Consulting Experts and a longtime United Airlines pilot, told the outlet.

The MD-11 that crashed on Tuesday was manufactured in 1991 by McDonnell Douglas, which is now owned by Boeing. UPS bought it in 2006.

A member of the US Air National Guard is seen surveying the horrific damage left behind from the crash on November 5

“Age may play a role, but as long as any aircraft is well maintained, it can last forever,” former NTSB investigator and air safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti told The Wall Street Journal.

Records reviewed by the WSJ indicate that the plane that made the fatal flight was grounded in San Antonio, Texas, between Sept. 3 and Oct. 18 because it needed permanent repairs to repair a crack in its fuel tank.

Aviation consultant Mike Boyd echoed Guzzetti’s thoughts, telling CNN: ‘At UPS, I wouldn’t worry about the age of the plane.

‘The main challenge for operators is rising maintenance costs and fuel consumption, which US carriers do not take lightly.’

As of the beginning of this year, more than 80 active MD-11 aircraft were in operation for FedEx Express, UPS Airlines and Western Global Airlines.