Thursday, November 06, 2025

PARTS FALLING OFF IS USUALLY BAD

By Bob Walsh

 

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Explosion and fire from a crashed UPS cargo plane near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Image 2 shows A private jet engulfed in flames after crashing 

 

They have concluded that one of the engines fell off the UPS plane that crashed in Kentucky a couple of days ago prior to impact, killing all of the crew and at least nine people on the ground.

I confess to having only modest knowledge of aircraft accident investigation but I do seem to recall that when large, important parts fall off of aircraft, especially when the plane is fully loaded and very close to the ground, it is often very bad.  One instance I am aware of occurred after maintenance people got "creative" with their method of removing and reinstalling the engine, which is normally very time consuming.  There were only three bolts that held the engine on, and if you damage the mounts in the process of changing engines it can have unintended results.

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