Boeing knew of flaw in part linked to UPS plane crash, US safety board report says

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 15, 2026 at 01:49 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A UPS MD-11F freighter crashed in Kentucky in November, killing 15 people, due to a structural flaw Boeing knew about 15 years prior. The NTSB's report revealed cracks in the engine mounting assembly, a recurring issue on other aircraft. Boeing, who acquired the original manufacturer McDonnell Douglas, had previously identified the problem but deemed it not a flight safety risk. In 2011, Boeing issued a non-legally binding service letter recommending visual inspections every five years and highlighting a revised bearing assembly. The NTSB update emphasizes fatigue in a critical bearing and its mounting, raising concerns about the structural integrity of the engine attachment mechanism.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tim Atkinson 40% McDonnell Douglas 40% Louisville 50% Kentucky ×260% UPS 70% US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ×380% Boeing ×690%

Keywords

plane crash 90% structural flaw 80% boeing 80% national transportation safety board 70% engine failure 70% fatigue 60% aircraft safety 60% service letter 50% md-11 50% engine mounting assembly 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Kentucky

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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plane crash structural flaw boeing national transportation safety board engine failure fatigue aircraft safety service letter md-11 engine mounting assembly

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