Kentucky plane crash: Black boxes recovered as investigators probe engine failure

Investigators have recovered the black box recorders from a UPS cargo plane that crashed and exploded after takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least 12 people, including a child.

The discovery is expected to play a crucial role in uncovering why one of the aircraft’s engines tore away mid-air moments before the deadly crash, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, operating as UPS Flight 2976, was departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport for Honolulu on Tuesday evening when a massive fire broke out in its left wing. According to J. Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), security footage shows the left engine detaching from the wing during takeoff.

“The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered,” Inman told reporters. “They’ve suffered some heat damage, but they’re built for that.”

The NTSB will now analyse the recorders to reconstruct the plane’s final moments, including crew communications and engine performance. Inman said the debris was scattered across a half-mile radius, indicating the aircraft likely broke apart as it attempted to climb.

The plane cleared the runway perimeter fence before slamming into an industrial area near UPS Worldport, the company’s global aviation hub in Louisville. The impact triggered a chain of explosions, setting fire to Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and an adjacent auto parts yard, where a child was among those killed.

Governor Andy Beshear said that while the search for victims continues, the chance of finding survivors is “very unlikely.” He called it “a blessing” that the aircraft missed a nearby Ford Motor plant and the city’s convention centre.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed the death toll had risen to 12, warning it could climb further. Two people remain in critical condition in the University of Louisville Hospital’s burn unit, and 18 others have been treated and released.

Officials have not confirmed whether the three UPS crew members aboard the plane are among the dead.

UPS said it was “terribly saddened” by the crash. The company’s Louisville hub employs more than 20,000 workers and handles around 300 flights daily.

By Aghakazim Guliyev