A part that broke on a UPS plane that crashed in Kentucky failed 4 times on other planes years ago

[littlemissmartypants]

Source: AP

Boeing warned plane owners in 2011 about a broken part that contributed to a UPS plane crash that killed 15 last year but at that point the planemaker didn’t believe it threatened safety, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday.

The UPS plane crashed in November 2025 shortly after taking off in Louisville, when the left engine flew off the wing as the plane rolled down the runway.

The NTSB said Wednesday that Boeing had documented in 2011 there were four previous failures of a part that helps secure the MD-11’s engines to the wings on three different planes, but at that point the planemaker “determined it would not result in a safety of flight condition.”

NTSB didn’t say whether there had been additional documented failures of the spherical bearing race since 2011. Investigators found that part broken into two pieces after the UPS crash, and the lugs that held that part were cracked.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ups-louisville-plane-crash-ntsb-md11-6d4cfff0c3937f847a3ac39809e31c11?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=6967fe8e3f8ca600013e1d0c

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By JOSH FUNK
Updated 4:02 PM EST, January 14, 2026

[JT45242]

1. perhaps deregulation and not enforcing stuff is a bad idea

This whole idiotic argument about wanting smaller government and no regulations just makes me angrier every time something like this comes up.

[Lonestarblue]

2. Just like engineering changes to the 737 didn't affect safety--until it did and hundreds of people died.

Boeing managers who mislead on safety issues should be prosecuted and sent to jail.

[quaint]

3. Ah, but it happened on the ground and they "determined it would not result in a safety of flight condition."

😡

[Initech]

4. Ain't deregulated capitalism great?

[Sneederbunk]

5. Just business. Just a cost/benefit thing.