LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched their investigation into the fatal UPS cargo plane crash, focusing on why the aircraft's left engine detached during flight and whether the incident points to broader safety concerns with the MD-11 fleet.
"There is no better investigative agency in the world looking into plane crashes, bar none. They will get to the bottom of this," said NBC Senior Aviation Correspondent Tom Costello, who's followed dozens of airline crashes in his nearly 20 years as an aviation expert.
The NTSB has successfully recovered the plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder despite significant heat damage from the crash. These devices, commonly known as black boxes, are now being analyzed at the NTSB laboratory in Washington.
"The NTSB is focused on that wing, on that number one engine on the left side, why did it detach, and apparently with the pylon that's supposed to hold it in place. Did that pylon become unstable during a recent maintenance check or is there a systemic issue with the MD-11 fleet worldwide?" Costello said.
Investigators will examine thousands of data parameters from the flight recorders, listening not only to pilot communications but also for mechanical sounds that could reveal what happened in the cockpit during the emergency.
"They're not just listening to the voices. They're listening for sounds of a switch flipping, for example, of alerts going off, of a ding, of a horn. That will tell them a lot of what was happening in that cockpit, not just between the pilots but with all the data telemetry of all the flight systems on board," Costello said.
The investigation could have significant implications for aviation safety. MD-11 aircraft are widely used by major cargo carriers including FedEx and UPS for freight operations worldwide.
"The MD-11 pretty much only carries cargo worldwide, but it's widely flown by FedEx, by UPS, and other worldwide carriers. It carries a lot of cargo and of course people every single day so they need to get to the bottom of this as fast as they can," Costello said.
If investigators determine the problem extends beyond this single aircraft, immediate action would be taken to address fleet-wide safety concerns.
The FBI is assisting with forensic recovery at the crash site, which Costello noted is routine procedure for such incidents and does not suggest criminal activity. The NTSB continues to lead the investigation.
While preliminary findings could be released within a month, the complete investigation process typically takes up to a year to determine the final cause of a deadly aviation accident.
