Aviation News Talk Podcast

In this episode of Aviation News Talk, we begin with the developing details surrounding the crash of UPS Airlines Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F cargo aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky. The aircraft, tail number N259UP, was a 34-year-old MD-11F powered by three General Electric CF6-80 engines. Bystander video shows the left engine separated from the wing, with the wing engulfed in flames as the aircraft lifted off. ADS-B data indicates the aircraft climbed less than 100 feet before beginning a descending, left-turning roll from which it did not recover. The crew had already passed V1, meaning they were committed to takeoff and did not have adequate runway remaining to stop. In situations like this, flight crews may have no survivable option, and this accident may represent one of those rare but tragic scenarios. We also compare aspects of this event to American Airlines Flight 191, the 1979 DC-10 crash at Chicago O'Hare. While both accidents involved the los