A routine evening departure from Louisville, Kentucky, turned into disaster on November 4, 2025, when a UPS MD-11 cargo jet crashed just seconds after takeoff. The aircraft, carrying holiday freight and three experienced pilots, had only recently returned to service after major repairs. As the jet climbed into the twilight, a cockpit alarm sounded, and the left engine tore away from the wing. The plane, now crippled and on fire, lost altitude rapidly and crashed into an industrial area, igniting warehouses and leaving devastation in its wake.
Seconds to Respond: The Crew’s Final Moments
The cockpit voice recorder revealed the crisis unfolded in less than a minute. Thirty-seven seconds after takeoff, a warning bell alerted Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Captain Dana Diamond to a catastrophic failure. Past the point of no return—known as V1 speed—the crew had no option to abort. The recording captured their struggle for control for just 25 more seconds before impact. Investigators later confirmed that the left engine, along with its pylon—the structure attaching it to the wing—had separated entirely, a rare and catastrophic event for a triple-engine aircraft. The resulting imbalance and fire left the crew with no chance to recover.
Destruction on the Ground
The MD-11’s crash path stretched nearly half a mile through a busy industrial zone. The jet struck a UPS Supply Chain warehouse, gouging a massive hole in the roof, and destroyed four buildings at Grade A Auto Parts, forcing employees to jump from windows to escape the flames. In total, the crash claimed the lives of all three crew members and at least 11 people on the ground, making it the deadliest UPS accident in over a decade. Emergency responders faced a chaotic scene of burning debris and injured survivors as they worked to contain the fires and search for victims.
Aging Aircraft and Recent Repairs
The downed aircraft, registered as N259UP, was 34 years old—typical for cargo jets, which often serve well beyond the lifespan of passenger planes. Just weeks before the crash, the MD-11 had undergone 46 days of structural repairs in San Antonio, where mechanics addressed cracks, corrosion, and a fuel tank fissure. The plane returned to service on October 18 and completed 28 flights before the accident. The proximity of the crash to the repair period raised immediate questions about the aircraft’s airworthiness and the effectiveness of the maintenance performed.
Grounding a Fleet: Industry-Wide Fallout
In the days following the crash, Boeing—now responsible for the MD-11 program—recommended that all operators ground their MD-11 fleets as a precaution. UPS quickly grounded its 27 MD-11s, representing 9% of its fleet, and FedEx followed by grounding its 28 MD-11s, about 4% of its own. In total, more than 50 MD-11 cargo planes were taken out of service within four days, an unprecedented move for a single aircraft type. Only Western Global Airlines, with most of its MD-11s already in storage, continued limited operations. Both UPS and FedEx announced contingency plans to reroute shipments and minimize disruptions, but the timing—just weeks before the peak holiday shipping season—could not have been worse.
Holiday Shipping in Jeopardy
Louisville’s Worldport, UPS’s global hub, processes two million packages daily and is a linchpin for time-sensitive deliveries across the United States. With nearly a tenth of its fleet grounded, UPS faced immediate operational strain as the holiday rush approached. Supply chain experts warned that the grounding of over 50 cargo aircraft during the busiest shipping period could delay millions of packages, affecting retailers and consumers nationwide. Regional hubs scrambled to absorb the overflow, but the sudden loss of capacity threatened to overwhelm the system. The MD-11, once a workhorse of global logistics, now stood at the center of an industry crisis.
Looking Ahead: Unanswered Questions and High Stakes
As the National Transportation Safety Board launched its investigation, attention focused on the engine pylon’s failure and the recent maintenance work. The simultaneous grounding of so many MD-11s suggested a possible design flaw or systemic issue, raising the prospect of permanent changes to cargo aviation. For now, contingency plans and regional rerouting offer only partial relief as the industry braces for a challenging holiday season. The outcome of the investigation will determine not only the fate of the MD-11 fleet but also the resilience of global supply chains in the face of aging aircraft and unexpected catastrophe.