The first wrongful death lawsuits have been filed in Kentucky state court following the November 4 crash of a UPS MD-11F in Louisville.
The suits were filed on December 4 by Clifford Law Offices of Chicago and attorney Sam Aguiar of Louisville on behalf of the families of Angela Anderson, a customer at a local business, and Trinadette Chavez, an employee at one of the businesses destroyed in the crash.
The lawsuits allege negligence and name multiple defendants, including UPS, engine manufacturer General Electric, Boeing (which acquired the aircraft’s original manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas), and VT San Antonio Aerospace Inc., a maintenance provider in Texas.
The Crash
UPS Flight 2976, an MD-11 cargo jet bound for Honolulu, crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport around 5:14 p.m. EST. Videos captured the aircraft’s left engine on fire before it detached during takeoff.
The plane crashed into a nearby industrial park, causing a massive explosion and fire that destroyed an auto yard and a petroleum recycling facility. Fourteen people were killed, including the three pilots, and at least 23 others were injured.
Anderson, 45, was a customer at Grade A Recycling when the plane crashed. Chavez, 37, was a mother of two and an employee at Grade A Auto Parts, one of the businesses destroyed in the crash.
Attorney: “Profit Over Safety”
“This tragedy is an unacceptable event that indicates a catastrophic failure across numerous safety systems,” said Bradley Cosgrove, a partner at Clifford Law Offices.
Aguiar added that the lawsuit seeks answers for the families.
Veteran aviation attorney Robert Clifford of Clifford Law Offices compared the incident to the 1979 incident involving American Airlines Flight 191 in Chicago, where a detached engine also led to a fatal crash.
Clifford suggested the age of the aircraft raises questions about “profit over safety.” The aircraft was 34 years old, manufactured in 1991.
The Investigation
A preliminary report on November 20 noted early findings of fatigue fractures in bolts and locking devices on the 34-year-old aircraft. The NTSB also revealed that the cockpit voice recorder captured a repeating bell 37 seconds into the takeoff roll, which continued for 25 seconds until the recording ended. During that time, the crew was engaged in efforts to control the aircraft.
Airport surveillance video showed the No. 1 engine and its pylon detaching moments after rotation, igniting a fire near the pylon’s wing attachment point. The engine and pylon were torn from the wing during the takeoff rotation, vaulting up and over the fuselage as the trijet lifted off.
The Aftermath
Following the crash, the FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive grounding all MD-11 aircraft pending investigation. UPS and FedEx grounded their combined fleet of more than 50 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes.
UPS stated it proactively grounded its MD-11 fleet out of an abundance of caution before the FAA directive. The company said it will fully support the investigation through its conclusion.
All 14 victims were identified by November 12, 2025. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the city “feels the full weight of this unimaginable tragedy.” Behind every name, he said, “is a circle of family, friends, stories that will forever be unfinished.”
