The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that reports of cracks in a wing mount were flagged before a UPS freight plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, in November, killing 15 people. The information emerged at the start of a two-day hearing into the crash of the MD-11 aircraft, which left all three crew members and 12 people on the ground dead, with 23 others injured.
The NTSB said a cracked part on the doomed jet was noted in a Boeing 2011 report, which documented four previous failures on three different aircraft. Investigators found fatigue cracks in a support structure on the left pylon, known as the bearing race, which connects the wing to the engine. The agency also noted a series of reports of cracks in race parts on MD-11 planes over the prior decade.
The hearing is reviewing design requirements for those components and the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight over the last 20 years. FedEx has resumed using its MD-11 fleet after the FAA lifted a grounding order, while UPS retired its remaining two dozen MD-11 jets shortly after the crash.
Families of victims attended the hearing in Washington DC. Attorney Bradley Cosgrove, representing some families, said they are devastated and deserve answers. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homey addressed the families, stating: 'Please know: your loved ones are the reason we’re here. We want to find out what happened.'
The NTSB released over 2,000 pages of documents, revealing that the ill-fated plane had been pressed into service to replace another with a fuel leak. The flight crew had shared banter with maintenance staff during a second pre-flight inspection. The final report is not expected for over a year.
