On Tuesday, Nov. 4, A United Postal Service cargo plane crashed upon takeoff at Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky. It was determined that one of the wings had caught on fire and the engines had detached during take-off.
The plane had crashed and burst into flames on the runway, killing 13 and leaving 20 more injured. The crash had temporarily shut down UPS’ largest distribution hub and interrupted flights in and out of Louisville.
Despite the unlikelihood of survivors being found, rescue crews are still searching for the unaccounted for. Specifically in the industrial areas next to the airport, where the plane slammed into rubble.
Following the investigation, it was discovered that the engine fell off as the plane was rolling towards its takeoff. The engine was left on the ground beside the runway. It is also crucial to know that a plane can still take off even if one of the engines fails. But if other engines are damaged or other parts of the plane are damaged, that would not have been possible.
This specific plane had three engines, one mounted on each wing and another in the tail. According to aviation attorney Pablo Rojas, he suggests that the plane struggled to gain altitude as flames blazed along the left side.
“There’s very little to contain the flames, and really the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel,” said Rojas.
As this is still an ongoing investigation, it’s hard to say if the pilot or the crew even saw the flames, and aborting the flight may have had worse consequences. The blaze stretched over a block and narrowly missed a restaurant and bar.
The plan went down not far from a Ford auto assembly plant, where hundreds of people were working at the time.
