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NTSB Focuses on Maintenance Procedures on First Day of UPS Crash Hearing

Investigators zero in on spherical bearing that allegedly weakened an engine pylon.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 10:21 AM ET

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

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB is holding a hearing on the November 4, 2025, fatal crash of UPS Flight 2976, which occurred after its No. 1 engine separated during takeoff, killing all three crew and 11 people on the ground.
The investigation is focused on maintenance procedures and protocols, particularly regarding a spherical bearing failure that allegedly weakened the engine pylon.
Boeing and UPS were reportedly aware of potential fractures and migration in these spherical bearings since 2008 but did not consider it a safety issue requiring a mandatory airworthiness directive.
Following the accident, the MD-11 fleet was temporarily grounded for inspections, which revealed cracks on attachment pylons in several aircraft, leading UPS to retire its MD-11 fleet.

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Maintenance procedures and protocols took center stage on day one of the National Transportation Safety Board’s hearing on the fatal crash of UPS Flight 2976.

The two-day hearing in Washington, D.C., is an information-gathering exercise, with Boeing, UPS, ST Engineering, Independent Pilots Association, Teamsters Airline Division, GE Aerospace, Collins Aerospace, and the FAA present to answer questions about procedures and policies for aircraft maintenance.

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.