UPS, Louisville and MD-11 cargo plane
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By Allison Lampert (Reuters) -As a bell sounded in the cockpit, three UPS pilots tried to control a cargo flight that crashed this week in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least 13 people, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Friday.
UPS said in a Nov. 7 statement it would temporarily ground the MD-11 fleet effective immediately. The decision comes after the Nov. 4 crash of a UPS cargo flight in Louisville, where at least 14 people died, including three crew members, and others are still missing as of Nov. 7. It’s the deadliest crash in UPS Airlines history.
The UPS cargo plane crew tried to control the aircraft for about 25 seconds before it crashed into a ball of flames shortly after taking off on Tuesday.
Here’s what flight data tell about plane’s final moments: 5:02 p.m.: UPS Flight 2976 pushes back from a dock at the UPS Worldport near the center of the airport and begins traveling northwest on ramp 5S toward a taxiway. 5:07 p.m.: The cargo jet holds on ramp 5S near a ramp access road.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the deadly Tuesday crash, which occurred as a MD-11 was taking off. FedEx said it was also grounding the planes.
The death toll rose to 14 after Mayor Craig Greenberg said another body was found at the crash site. Three UPS crew members on the plane were identified.
A UPS cargo plane crashed at a Louisville, Kentucky, airport where the company operates its largest package delivery hub. UPS calls the giant center Worldport.
A UPS cargo jet can be seen descending rapidly, hitting several power lines, before crashing on the ground and bursting into flames.
Four people on the ground were killed and the three people who were onboard the flight are presumed dead, local officials said.