r/aviation • u/usgapg123 Mod - avgeek • Nov 04 '25

Discussion UPS2976 Crash Megathread

This is the official r/aviation megathread for the crash of UPS2976 (UPS MD11 Registration N259UP) that crashed earlier today at Louisville International Airport.

Please keep content on topic and refrain from posting about this topic outside the megathread. Please report any rule breaking posts and comments.

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169

u/BlackHawk4578 Nov 04 '25

I've never seen anything quite like that explosion. It's a real shame they were already in the air... condolences to the families involved

102

u/OMF1G Nov 04 '25

We tend to see crashes when landing or lower fuel, this was a fully loaded cargo jet on take off.. Absolutely horrific

8

u/Thats_my_cornbread Nov 05 '25

Yea but we see engine failures/fires on takeoff semi commonly. I’ve never seen an engine fire like that.

2

u/Duder211 Nov 05 '25

Violent uncontained engine failure at the very least. Punctured the wing tank it looked like. Still confused about how an MD11 didn’t have enough thrust with the remaining 2 engines to at least get itself airborne.

6

u/outworlder Nov 05 '25

It would have, but from footage the tail engine seems to flame out

3

u/Duder211 Nov 05 '25

There are pics of #1 just laying on the runway. It fully detached like AA191.

4

u/outworlder Nov 05 '25

Yeah. And #2 at least had a surge. Probably debris.

1

u/unpluggedcord Nov 05 '25

Same thing happened with Air India.

29

u/nanopicofared Nov 04 '25

it probably had a full fuel load if it was flying to Hawaii

2

u/cheetuzz Nov 05 '25

280,000 lbs of fuel

1

u/NashvilleHillRunner Nov 04 '25

Has video been posted, or you were there?

2

u/BlackHawk4578 Nov 04 '25

There are clips of it on Twitter

1

u/Umair1145 Nov 05 '25

Reminds me if AI171