NTSB Official Stresses ‘Very Active Day’ in UPS Crash Investigation

Recovery efforts and flight data analysis continue for deadly cargo plane accident.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, November 06, 2025 at 05:21 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

UPS MD-11 freighter [Credit: Jim Allen/FreightWaves]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the UPS MD-11 crash in Louisville, utilizing a multidisciplinary team and collaborating with multiple agencies, while prioritizing recovery efforts and supporting affected families.
Key data from the flight data recorder (FDR), cockpit voice recorder (CVR), and preliminary ADS-B information has been successfully recovered and is being analyzed to establish an accident timeline.
Initial findings indicate the aircraft's left engine disintegrated and caught fire during takeoff, resulting in at least 12 confirmed deaths, 15 injuries, and 9 individuals still unaccounted for.

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National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said “it’s been a very active day” during a press conference Thursday to update the investigation into the UPS MD-11 crash in Louisville, Kentucky.

Inman noted the NTSB has put together a multidisciplinary team and brought in additional specialists who can help piece together the situation that led to Tuesday’s deadly accident that killed at least 12 people and injured 15.