NTSB opens hearings into Nov. 4 MD-11 crash

The National Transportation Safety Board opened a two-day investigative hearing on May 19 into the Nov. 4, 2025 crash of UPS Flight 2976, a Boeing MD-11F that went down shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. (ntsb.gov) The crash killed three crewmembers and 11 people on the ground, with another ground victim dying 51 days later, and injured 23 others, according to NTSB materials. The hearing is examining how maintenance findings, service reports and manufacturer reviews handled earlier signs of trouble in the aircraft’s left pylon aft mount. (cessna120140.com) Investigators have centered the inquiry on a fractured spherical bearing race and fatigue cracking in the structure that connected the left engine and pylon to the wing. (globalair.com) ### Why are investigators focused on the pylon bearing? NTSB investigators said airport surveillance video showed the left engine and pylon separating from the wing shortly after rotation on Nov. 4, 2025. An NTSB investigative update said the spherical bearing race in the left pylon aft mount was found fractured into forward and aft portions, and laboratory examination found fatigue cracking around the circumference of the race. The agency said the cracking covered about 75% of the fracture surface before the final overstress failure. January findings from the NTSB had already pointed to a cracked part that was also flagged in a Boeing 2011 report, according to Reuters. (ntsb.gov) Reuters reported on May 19 that the hearing was reviewing reports of cracks in the part over the prior decade and the FAA’s oversight of the issue over the last two decades. ### How many earlier warnings were there? NTSB staff said at the hearing they identified nine prior operator reports involving 10 instances of fractured and migrated pylon aft-mount bearing outer races on other MD-11 or MD-11F aircraft. AVweb, citing the hearing, reported that only two of those earlier reports were formally reviewed through Boeing’s continued operational safety process. (ntsb.gov) In those two cases, Boeing concluded the issue did not present a safety-of-flight problem, according to the hearing testimony cited by AVweb. The Associated Press reported that federal investigators were examining why Boeing did not address the underlying flaw sooner. (usnews.com) Reuters said the hearing was also reviewing a series of prior crack reports on MD-11 aircraft. ### What did the hearing say about maintenance and reporting? The first day of testimony focused on how structural anomalies were documented and shared among operators, maintenance providers, Boeing and the FAA. AVweb reported that witnesses discussed service difficulty report requirements and data-quality problems, including inconsistent part names and coding that made trend searches harder. UPS officials told the hearing that structural findings could be entered into the company’s maintenance information system and routed through engineering and quality processes. (cessna120140.com) The accident aircraft’s last general and detailed visual pylon inspections were completed in 2021 by ST Engineering San Antonio Aerospace, according to AVweb’s account of the hearing. (apnews.com) A lubrication task was last completed in October 2025, shortly before the crash. ### What happened to the MD-11 fleet after the crash? Following the crash, the FAA grounded MD-11, DC-10 and MD-10 aircraft, according to hearing testimony cited by AVweb. NTSB staff said post-accident inspections found migrated bearing races on three UPS MD-11s and one DC-10. UPS has since retired its MD-11 fleet, while FedEx resumed MD-11 operations after FAA-approved inspection and bearing replacement actions, AVweb reported. (cessna120140.com) Reuters separately reported last week that the FAA had approved Boeing protocols allowing the aircraft type to return to service after months on the ground. ### Who is involved in the investigation now? The NTSB said parties to the investigation include the FAA, UPS, Boeing, the Independent Pilots Association, GE Aerospace, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division and Collins Aerospace. (cessna120140.com) The agency’s published agenda said the hearing is a fact-gathering proceeding, not a final determination of probable cause. May 20 is scheduled to cover aircraft design and related technical issues, with the hearing docket and supporting factual materials posted under investigation number DCA26MA024 on the NTSB website. The board has not yet issued a final report or probable-cause finding. (ntsb.gov 1) (ntsb.gov 2) (cessna120140.com)