• The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a preliminary report on the deadly UPS MD-11 crash in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 4, 2025.
• The report suggests that the left engine and pylon were torn from the wing during takeoff, vaulting up and over the fuselage.
• The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found evidence of fatigue cracking and overstress failure on the left pylon's aft mount.
• The right engine and pylon separated from the wing during the accident sequence, but remained attached to the wing clevis.
• The MD-11 briefly became airborne, climbing no higher than 100 feet above ground level before descending into a storage yard and two additional buildings.

This incident may indicate a need for increased scrutiny of pylon design and maintenance procedures for trijet aircraft. The similarities between this incident and a 1979 DC-10 crash suggest that similar safety concerns may exist in other aircraft. The FAA's emergency airworthiness directive may lead to increased costs and delays for MD-11 and DC-10 operators.