Do you know that feeling you get when you’re expecting a package but it disappears in transit? Well, that’s what numerous UPS customers in Honolulu will be feeling tomorrow. That’s because, a couple of hours ago, a UPS plane crashed upon takeoff at the airport in Louisville, Kentucky. Given the distance between the two states (and yes, Hawaii is a state for crying out loud!), the plane was absolutely running on a full fuel tank.
Given all that fuel, all 38,000 gallons of it, it’s no surprise that the plane exploded into a ball of flames that was visible for miles around. Things were so bad that residents were placed under a “shelter in place” warning, though there was no need for that. As of the time that this article was published, three are dead and around 11 have been injured.
I’ve written in recent days about potential safety issues at airports due to air traffic controllers being overworked and unpaid. Most controllers are calling out, causing ground stops at major airports. I pointed out that planes will fall out of the sky because of exhausted controllers missing a critical step. Well, today’s incident has nothing to do with that.
Of course, it’s way too soon to know for sure what caused the crash. What is known is that air traffic control had absolutely nothing to do with this. Apparently, the plane attempted to take off but came crashing down almost immediately, engulfing the plane and effectively cremating the people and packages within.
It looks as if the three dead were the pilots, though that has not been confirmed as of the time that this article was published. Before it hit the ground, the plane struck two area businesses. All of their employees have been accounted for, except for two. It may be possible that they too were cremated.
Today is a bad day for UPS. One of its planes crashed and they likely lost three pilots, which means three separate worker’s compensation cases, but that’s for another day. Louisville happens to be the company’s worldwide hub. Can you imagine crashing a plane in front of your company’s executives? Awkward!
As for the plane that crashed, CNN is reporting that it was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, built in 1991, back when the craft was brand new.
What caused today’s crash? I don’t know. I’m not a pilot. But my money is on a combination of factors. Clearly, something mechanical was wrong with the plane. But what about the pilots? Why weren’t they aware that something was very wrong? Surely there would have been some sort of warning that would have caused them to abort the takeoff. So, in my opinion, this may be a mechanical failure mingled with potential pilot incompetency.
I will say this though: if people who were expecting UPS packages in the Honolulu area, where the plane was headed, I would fully support them being angry. I know that if my package was due tomorrow, I would be irate that my package was burned and I wouldn’t give a moment’s thought to the pilots.
All I’m going to say here is this: at least in recent years, FedEx’s planes don’t crash. If you need a package delivered flaming hot, go with UPS. If you absolutely need it there yesterday, choose FedEx.
0Sorry, not sorry.