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MD-11 structural flaw was known by Boeing, investigators say

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January 19, 2026
3 min read

MD-11 structural flaw was known by Boeing, investigators say

Investigators say that Boeing was aware of a structural flaw on an MD-11 plane that crashed in the US last November. The flaw had been identified by the company on similar aircraft over a decade earlier they alleged.

An MD-11, used by UPS, crashed after an engine separated from the wing as it was about to take off from Louisville in Kentucky. The plane briefly lifted up from the runway, before it careered put of control into an industrial area, killing all three crew members and twelve people on the ground.

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In an update report, the American National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) discovered that cracks found in the engine mounting assembly had also occurred on other aircraft. Boeing concluded at the time of the manufacture that the safety issue “would not result in a safety of flight condition.”

The MD-11 is an older aircraft design, initially manufactured by McDonnel Douglas before Boeing acquired the company in 1997. The last MD-11 to be produced was made in 2001, but the company continues to provide service support and parts.

The NTSB issued a preliminary report after the crash, drawing attention to the cracks in the engine attachment mechanism, with its latest update describing fractures as being evidence of “fatigue” in a critical bearing and the mounting it sits on.

It highlights how the company had previously discovered similar failures on four occasions on three planes. In 2011, a service letter was sent to operators warning them of the findings and recommending that the parts be included in a general visual inspection every five years. It also highlighted changes to the inspection procedure in the maintenance manual, pointing out how a revised bearing assembly could be fitted, though it was not mandatory.

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