NTSB hearings on UPS Flight 2976

The National Transportation Safety Board opened a two-day investigative hearing on Tuesday, May 19, into the November 2025 crash of UPS Flight 2976, a Boeing MD-11F cargo airplane that went down shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The crash killed three crewmembers and 11 people on the ground, and one seriously injured person later died, according to the NTSB. The agency said the hearing in Washington is a fact-gathering proceeding, not a session to determine probable cause. Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration and UPS are among the parties participating in the investigation. ### Why is the NTSB holding a hearing now? The NTSB said on April 16 that it scheduled the hearing for May 19-20 as part of its ongoing investigation into the Nov. 4, 2025 accident. The board said such hearings are used to gather information needed to determine the facts and circumstances of major transportation accidents. Only board members, investigators, witnesses and parties to the hearing can participate, though the proceeding is open to the public and livestreamed. (ntsb.gov) Washington is the site of the hearing, at the NTSB Boardroom and Conference Center at 429 L’Enfant Plaza SW. The hearing docket, including factual reports, photographs and other investigative materials, was set to open at the start of the proceeding under investigation number DCA26MA024. ### What does the NTSB say happened on the flight? (ntsb.gov) The NTSB’s investigation page says UPS Flight 2976 departed Louisville for Honolulu at about 5:14 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 4, 2025. The airplane, registered as N259UP, was destroyed after it struck buildings and the ground shortly after takeoff from runway 17R. Airport surveillance images posted by the NTSB show what the agency described as the left engine and left pylon separating from the left wing. (ntsb.gov) The NTSB has said its information remains preliminary and subject to change. ### Which companies and agencies are being questioned? The NTSB identified the FAA, UPS and Boeing as parties to the investigation, along with the Independent Pilots Association, GE Aerospace, Teamsters Airline Division and Collins Aerospace. (ntsb.gov) Tuesday’s witness list included UPS officials Shannon Deckard and David Springer, FAA officials Brian Knaup, Melanie Violette and Danny Wuo, and Boeing representatives Scott Hirsch and Justin Konopaske. The agenda released on May 12 shows that the first day focused on UPS fleet safety processes, reporting of anomalies found during inspection and maintenance, and how UPS reported issues to Boeing and the FAA. A second panel was scheduled to examine FAA and Boeing continued operational safety processes, including oversight and working agreements. (ntsb.gov) ### What are investigators examining in the hearing? Tuesday’s agenda said investigators planned to examine maintenance manual inspection instructions, reporting to UPS quality assurance, and FAA reporting requirements for Part 121 operators. Another session was set to review how FAA and Boeing develop communications to operators after continued operational safety actions are completed, and how UPS evaluates those communications. (ntsb.gov) Wednesday’s agenda shifts to pylon design requirements. The NTSB said that panel will cover FAA Part 25 transport-category airplane design and certification requirements, Boeing’s design approach for pylon attachment, and the design of aircraft systems routed through and near pylon attachment points. ### What happens after the hearing ends? (ntsb.gov) The NTSB said the hearing runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time on May 19 and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 20. The board has not said when it will issue a final report or determine probable cause. The hearing docket and livestream are being posted through the NTSB’s investigation page for case DCA26MA024. (ntsb.gov 1) (ntsb.gov 2)