Cockpit recordings: ‘Persistent bell’ went off seconds before fiery UPS plane crash
BREAKING NEWS. LET’S GO LIVE TO THE NTSB UPDATE ON THE DEADLY PLANE CRASH FAMILY. THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS, WE KNOW AS EACH DAY IT GOES A LITTLE BIT FARTHER, IT BECOMES A LOT TOUGHER. WE’RE STILL IN THE FACT, FACT GATHERING PHASE OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS. AND I WANT TO RECAP A FEW THINGS THAT WE’VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR. MOST IMPORTANTLY TO PRESENT AGAIN, SHI HOON SHIN THAT C H I H O O N S H I N. WHO IS OUR INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE? I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE WE THANK ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS. AS I SAID YESTERDAY, LOUISVILLE EMA DIRECTOR AND THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARY IN THIS. THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE COMMUNITY HAS TRULY COME TOGETHER AND I KNOW LOUISVILLE IS SUFFERING, BUT THEY HAVE THEY’VE REALLY SHOWN THEIR ABILITY TO TO WORK THROUGH THIS TRAGEDY AND TO ASSIST US IN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. AGAIN, OUR ROLE IS NOT TO SPECULATE ON THE CAUSE WHILE WE’RE HERE. WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY IT HAPPENED. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN. AS A REMINDER, EARLIER, AS WE SAID, WE BELIEVE WE MAY KNOW THE EXACT DEBRIS FIELD, BUT IF ANYONE HAS LOCATED ANY DEBRIS IN THEIR YARD OR KNOWS ANYTHING, THEY CAN CONTACT US AT WITNESS AT NTSB GOV. THAT IS, WITNESS AT NTSB GOV. AND TODAY WE CONDUCTED ANOTHER FAMILY BRIEFING FOR THOSE SURVIVORS ON THE GROUND OR FOR THOSE THAT HAVE FAMILY OR OTHERS ON THE GROUND. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS. WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF INFORMATION. YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY TELL IT’S A VERY TOUGH TIME FOR THEM. I PERSONALLY SPENT SEVERAL HOURS AT THE DEBRIS FIELD, AND I CAN TELL YOU THE DEBRIS FIELD ITSELF IS STILL ACTIVE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. IN FACT, WHILE WE WERE THERE WITH THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, THERE WERE SOME SPOT FIRES THAT WERE POPPING UP IN SOME COMPRESSED PAPER PRODUCTS AND EMITTING A LOT OF SMOKE. THERE’S STILL HUNDREDS OF FEET OF LINE HOSE LINE THAT ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THERE IN PREPARATION FOR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MAY BE NEEDED. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ASK, NOT EVERYTHING’S BEEN PUT OUT. IT’S PUTTING ADDITIONAL WATER ON THERE OR ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTING APPARATUS CAN DISTURB THE SCENE. SO THEY’VE BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH US. I WOULD ALSO MENTION THERE ARE OVER 101ST RESPONDERS AT THE SCENE, ALONG WITH OTHERS THAT ARE HELPING TO SECURE IT, AND THAT IS ONGOING. COLLECTIVELY, WE’VE IDENTIFIED OVER 500 PEOPLE THAT HAVE RESPONDED OR ARE INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION TO THIS POINT. I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE THAT THAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH SO FAR. THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER CONTAINED TWO HOURS AND FOUR MINUTES OF WHAT WE CONSIDER GOOD QUALITY DIGITAL RECORDED AUDIO. IN REVIEWING THAT AUDIO, THE CREW COMPLETED THEIR STANDARD CHECKLIST AND BRIEFINGS IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLIGHT. THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS WHAT WE CALLED UNEVENTFUL THROUGH THE DIFFERENT SPEED CALLOUTS. ABOUT 37 SECONDS AFTER THE CREW CALLED FOR TAKEOFF THRUST, A REPEATING BELL WAS HEARD ON THE CVR, WHICH PERSISTED UNTIL THE END OF THE RECORDING. 25 SECONDS LATER. DURING THIS TIME, THE CREW ENGAGED IN EFFORTS TO ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE CRASH, THE NTSB WILL NOW BE FORMING A CVR GROUP COMPRISED OF TECHNICAL EXPERTS ON THE MD 11 AT THE NTSB HEADQUARTERS, IN ORDER TO REVIEW THE RECORDING AND PRODUCE A WRITTEN TRANSCRIPT. NOW, THE CVR TRANSCRIPT WILL BE MADE PUBLIC ONLY WHEN A MAJORITY OF THE OTHER FACTUAL REPORTS ARE PLACED IN THE NTSB PUBLIC DOCKET FOR THIS ACCIDENT, AND THAT WILL BE SEVERAL MONTHS FROM NOW. ADDITIONALLY, IN REGARD TO THE PLANE ITSELF, THE BULK OF THE LEFT ENGINE PYLON WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE LEFT ENGINE WHEN THE ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE WING. BOTH OF THOSE COMPONENTS ARE IN A SECURED FACILITY FACILITY AND UNDERGOING FURTHER EXAMINATION. WE HAVE CONDUCTED ADDITIONAL SEARCHES IN THE GRASS AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 17 R AND ARE BEGINNING TO CONDUCT TO FIND ADDITIONAL PIECES OF THE ENGINE ATTACHMENT. ADDITIONALLY, LATER TODAY THEY WILL BE DOING ANOTHER SWEEP USING METAL DETECTORS AND OTHER TYPES OF APPARATUS. WE HAVE ALSO COMPLETED A LIDAR SCAN OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE DEBRIS FIELD, THE AIRFIELD, AND THAT IS ASSISTING US A LOT WITH A LOT OF OTHER TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT THAT’S BEEN BROUGHT IN FOR AERIAL RECREATION. WE ALSO ARE USING UTILIZING THE FBI IN ASSISTING US WITH MAKING SAFE A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL HAZARDS FOR OUR INVESTIGATION. THIS IS VERY NORMAL IN AN AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATION. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS SUCH AS COMPRESSED BOTTLES, FUEL SUPPRESSION OR FIRE SUPPRESSION MATERIALS. THOSE HAVE TO BE MADE SAFE BEFORE WE CAN DISTURB SOME OF THOSE AREAS. YESTERDAY THEY MADE SAFE. APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF OF THEM, AND WE’VE IDENTIFIED WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE OVER 30. SO THAT PROCESS IS STILL ONGOING TODAY. I CAN SAY TODAY WE’VE BEEN WORKING IN A FULL OPERATIONAL CADENCE, EXCEPT FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME DUE TO POTENTIAL LIGHTNING AROUND THE FIELD, THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE AT THE LOCATION AND WORKING ON THIS ACCIDENT IS PARAMOUNT. BUT EVEN WITH THAT WORK GOING ON, WE STILL UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RECOVERY OF THOSE WHO ARE STILL MISSING. AND WE WERE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IDENTIFYING ANY AREAS THAT MAY HAVE POTENTIAL VICTIMS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE’RE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE SO THAT THE CORONER AND THE MEDICAL EXAMINERS CAN OBVIOUSLY DO THEIR WORK. AS YOU MAY HAVE SEEN OR YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN, BUT WE ACTUALLY SENT A TWEET OUT ABOUT THE LAST 30 MINUTES. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE READ THAT FOR YOU. SO, YOU KNOW, DURING YESTERDAY’S MEDIA BRIEFING, THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION WE REPORTED WAS THAT THE FAA ADS-B DATA INDICATED A GPS ALTITUDE OF 475FT. WHEN CONSIDERING HOW FAA ADS-B DATA IS REPORTED, THIS EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY 100FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THIS IS WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST ACCURATE. BUT I WILL ALSO SAY WE’RE COLLABORATING OR COOPERATING THAT WITH THE DATA FROM THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER, WHICH IS STILL BEING VALIDATED AND WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO BE VALIDATED. NOW I AM GOING TO LET YOU KNOW THIS WILL BE OUR FINAL ON SCENE BRIEFING FOR THE MEDIA. WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TEAM MEMBERS HERE WORKING ON NOT ONLY THE INVESTIGATION, BUT THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE WILL BE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL MEDIA UPDATES THROUGH OUR PRESS RELEASES AND INVESTIGATIVE UPDATES THROUGH OUR HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON. THIS IS A NORMAL PRACTICE FOR US. IT’S AN ABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PRIORITIZING ALL THE RESOURCES AND THE APPROPRIATE PLACE. SO WITH THAT, WE’LL TRY TO TAKE SOME QUESTIONS. NONE. YES, MA’AM. VALERIE W DRV NEWS SOME RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OIL AND BLACK SLUDGE IN THE WATERWAYS AROUND THE CRASH SITE. WHAT IS THE NTSB DOING ABOUT THOSE ISSUES? SO THE QUESTION IS REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AROUND THE SITE. THE NTSB DOES NOT INVESTIGATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AROUND THERE, NOR IS IT RESPONSIBLE FOR UPKEEPING IT. I DO KNOW THAT THE KENTUCKY DIVISION OF WATER, THE EPA AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE ON SITE. THEY ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT. THEY ARE COGNIZANT. I KNOW THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR HAS HAS MENTIONED THIS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IT’S NOT REALLY IN THE LANE OF THE NTSB INVESTIGATION FOR STEVEN, SPECULATE. TOM, CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THE ALARM BELL THAT WAS HEARD IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO THE CRASH? ANY IDEA WHAT THAT ALARM WAS? WELL, I SAID THAT THERE WAS A PERSISTENT. BELL. WE NEED TO TAKE THAT FDR DATA AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO, BECAUSE THERE CAN BE NUMEROUS DIFFERENT TYPES OF ALARMS. AND WHAT THEY MAY MEAN. OBVIOUSLY, WE WE HAVE A WORKING THEORY RIGHT NOW, AND WE’RE TRYING TO VALIDATE THAT AGAINST THE FDR, THAT WITH THE CORROBORATING EVIDENCE IN REGARD TO THE VIDEO THAT WE HAVE, IS OBVIOUSLY LEADING US TO WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS A FIRE OCCURRING, BUT THE THE CALL OUT AND THE ALARM COULD ALSO BE A MIXTURE OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS. SO I DON’T WANT TO SPECULATE TOO FAR. THE FDR DATA AND THE EXAMINATION BY THE THE GROUPS ON THAT WILL GIVE US A LOT MORE GRANULARITY AND, AND BE ABLE TO HELP PAINT A BETTER PICTURE. YES, SIR. I JUST WANT TO GET SOME CLARITY ON THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS. SO YOU SAID 37 SECONDS INTO THE THE PLANE MOVING WAS WHEN THE ALARM BELL TOOK OFF RIGHT? YES. OKAY. SO SORRY. THIS QUESTION WAS AT 37 SECONDS. THAT’S WHEN THE FIRST REPEATING BELL. I’M NOT USING THE WORD ALARM REPEATING BELL. SO. SO HOW MUCH TIME IN THE SECONDS THAT FOLLOWED DID THE PILOTS HAVE TO REACT? SO THE QUESTION WAS HOW MUCH TIME DID THEY HAVE TO REACT? WELL, AGAIN, THE RECORDING LASTED UNTIL 25 SECONDS AFTER THE INITIAL PERSISTENT BELLS. THAT WAS THE END OF THE RECORDING. WE BELIEVE THAT RIGHT NOW THAT THE END OF THE RECORDING WAS THE FINAL POINT OF IMPACT. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER, WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT FDR DATA, WHICH COULD HAVE SOME OTHER FACTORS. THERE’S OVER 400 DATA SETS IN THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER, WHICH WILL TELL US ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. OBVIOUSLY, THESE HAVE SOME POWER SUPPLY REDUNDANCIES, BUT AT SOME POINT THERE’S JUST NO OTHER INFORMATION TO FEED INTO IT. SO WE PROVIDE THAT JUST TO GIVE YOU A TIMELINE, BUT IT IS NOT THE EXACT FRAMING OF WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND HOW IT OCCURRED. YES, SIR. IT WAS 11 HERE IN LOUISVILLE. YOU’RE ASKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW YOUR INVESTIGATION MOVING FORWARD IS GOING TO LOOK OVER THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS, ESPECIALLY THINKING ABOUT THE DEBRIS FIELD THAT IS OVER. GREAT LENGTH. YEAH. THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE CONTINUATION OF THE INVESTIGATION. GRADE LANE IN THAT AREA. AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT LATER TODAY OR TOMORROW THERE WILL BE HEAVY EQUIPMENT IN AVIATION CRASHES. THERE ARE WHAT ARE CALLED SALVORS AVIATION SALVORS. THEY’RE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED IN WORKING ACCIDENT SCENES BECAUSE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAN BE PICKED UP WITHOUT DAMAGING IT. AND HOW TO DO THAT. AND THEY HAVE SOME SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT NEEDS. THOSE ARE BEING BROUGHT IN. THEY WERE IN ROUTE SURVEYS WERE DONE TWO DAYS AGO TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. ONCE THOSE COME IN, THOSE WILL ACTUALLY ENABLE US TO LIFT AND MOVE MORE THINGS. AND THAT WILL HELP ALONG WITH THE INVESTIGATION ITSELF. THE ONE COMPLICATING FACTOR FOR THIS SCENE IS BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES WHERE THIS IMPACTED IS. YOU’RE SEEING A LOT OF COMBINATION OF SIMILAR METALS OR ALLOYS, AND SO WE’LL HAVE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN AIRCRAFT PARTS AND THOSE WHICH MAY ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND. BUT WE’VE ALREADY MADE PLANS TO TRY TO MOVE AS MUCH OF THAT OFF SITE AND THEN EVALUATE WHAT WE NEED TO IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY FREE UP MORE OF THE DEBRIS AREA. WE’RE COGNIZANT OF THE DISRUPTIONS OF A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES AROUND THERE, AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE NEED TO GO BACK IN AND CHECK ON THEIR PROPERTY AND BE ABLE TO FIND AND LOOK FOR SOME OF THEIR LOST ITEMS AS WELL. YES, SIR. IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS INVESTIGATION BEING ATYPICAL COMPARED TO PAST 50? SO THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS INVESTIGATION BEING ATYPICAL VERSUS PAST NTSB INVESTIGATIONS? I WOULD SAY EVERY INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETELY UNIQUE, AND WE WALK INTO IT FROM THE VERY FIRST STEP, SAYING WE HAVE NO PREMISE. ALL WE CAN DO IS TAKE THE FACTS THAT ARE PRESENTED TO US, ANALYZE THEM, AND THEN VALIDATE AND TRY TO COME OUT WITH THE BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORT. SO THE NTSB HAS DONE 150,000 AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATIONS IN ITS HISTORY. WE HAVE A VERY GOOD PROCESS. WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT EXPERTS. WE’RE BEING SUPPORTED BY A LOT OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, BUT EVERY ONE OF THEM IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. SO. I’LL CALL ON YOU. YES, SIR. SPECTRUM NEWS, ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? THE LAST 24 HOURS ABOUT THE MD 11 AIRCRAFT WHEN IT WAS IN SAN ANTONIO. ANYTHING THAT YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT THAT TIME, IT STOPPED THERE FOR MAINTENANCE. SO THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE MD 11. WHENEVER IT WAS IN SAN ANTONIO, WE, AS I SAID, I DIDN’T SAY I’M SORRY. IT WAS IN FOR WHAT WE CALL A HEAVY CHECK. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS USED IN EVERY AIRLINE, WHICH UPS IS AN AIRLINE ITSELF USES DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY, BUT IT IS CONSIDERED A HEAVY CHECK. WE WE’VE ACTUALLY DISPATCHED ADDITIONAL PEOPLE TO RETRIEVE SOME RECORDS. THE FAA HAS ASSISTED US IN DOING THAT. AND THE GOOD THING IS THEY HAVE A MONITORING SYSTEM ON ANY TYPE OF THOSE REPAIR FACILITIES. SO WE FEEL THAT WE’RE GOING TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF INFORMATION. AND SO IT’S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME TO GO THROUGH AND SORT THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE. WHILE WE MAKE SURE WE’RE FOCUSING IN THE RIGHT AREAS. YES, MA’AM. ALEXIS MATHEWS WLKY, NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AT THE CRASH SITE, DO YOU ANTICIPATE NEEDING TO BE HERE LONGER THAN THE WEEK OR A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN YOU ANTICIPATED, OR ARE YOU STILL IN THAT TIME FRAME? SO THE QUESTION WAS AT THE CRASH SITE, DO WE ANTICIPATE BEING HERE FOR ANOTHER WEEK? WE WILL BE HERE AS LONG AS IT TAKES. SOME OF US MAY TRANSFER OUT BECAUSE WE’RE BETTER USING THE RESOURCES TO BRING IN OTHER PEOPLE. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS MUCH WE’RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE UNTIL WE KNOW THAT WE’VE SECURED ALL OF THE PERISHABLE EVIDENCE AND ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO COME OUT WITH THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT. WE WILL DO IT AS QUICK AS WE CAN. AND WITH RESPECT TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO STILL HAVE WHO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE BALANCE THAT. WE ALSO HAVE TO MONITOR FATIGUE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. SO WE MAY ROTATE THROUGH SOME PEOPLE. AND I KNOW ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENS IS SOMETIMES HELPFUL. NEW SETS OF EYES OPEN UP DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US. SO THE GOOD THING IS WE HAVE A GOOD CADENCE, AND WE’RE WORKING ON THAT CADENCE TO MAKE SURE WE’RE DOING AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, MAKING SURE WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT’S NECESSARY. ANYBODY ELSE? YES, SIR. JONATHAN, FROM SPECTRUM NEWS AND GOING OFF OF THAT IS THE NTSB HERE? UNTIL ALL OF THE MISSING PERSONS ARE FOUND, OR IS THAT SEARCH GET ULTIMATELY TRANSFERRED IF IF THAT HAPPENS, IF IT COMES TO THAT POINT. SO THE QUESTION IS, DOES THE NTSB STAY UNTIL ALL THE VICTIMS ARE FOUND? OUR ROLE IS NOT THE THE VICTIM RECOVERY AND THAT IT IS BEING HANDLED BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THEY’RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH EVERYTHING THEY CAN. OUR JOB IS TO COLLECT THE PERISHABLE EVIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AVIATION CRASH, FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED, WHY IT HAPPENED, AND TO PREVENT IT FROM THE FUTURE. IF THAT. IF. THAT’S PROBABLY IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN TELL? WE’RE GOING TO DO TWO MORE. BY THE WAY. THAT’S GOING TO BE IT. ANY OTHER DETAILS YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT YOUR FINDINGS SURROUNDING THE LEFT ENGINE, THE AGE, THE SERVICE RECORD, ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE LEFT ENGINE OTHER THAN THE THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS? I SAID THAT WE HAVE RECOVERED AND THE OTHER PARTS THAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR. THERE’S NOT ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY MORE THAT WE CAN SHARE. I DO KNOW THAT THE THE JOB CARDS, WHICH TAKE CARE OF THE INSTRUCTIONS OF HOW THINGS ARE DONE AND, AND WHAT STEP IN ORDER THOSE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US. SO OUR PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT IT. AND I CAN ALSO INDICATE WE’VE REQUESTED FROM UPS AN EXEMPLARY AIRCRAFT. AND THIS WOULD BE AN AIRCRAFT THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE IN THEIR FLEET THAT HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF ENGINES. THEY’VE BEEN MORE THAN WILLING TO PROVIDE ONE SO THAT OUR INSPECTORS CAN GO AND LOOK AT SIMILAR ONES THAT ARE THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF CONFIGURATIONS, AND I BELIEVE TODAY OR TOMORROW SOME OF OUR OPERATIONS TEAM ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE IN THE SIMULATORS FOR THE MD11 THAT ARE HERE ON SITE, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL. AND THEY CAN LOOK AT THE THE COCKPIT CONFIGURATION TO BE ABLE TO RUN SOME SCENARIOS THAT THEY NEED TO TO COME UP WITH THAT. ONE MORE QUESTION. I GUESS BASED ON THE WHAT WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LEFT ENGINE BEING ATTACHED TO THE PYLON? CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN THAT IN LAYMAN’S TERMS, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IN THE INVESTIGATION? THE QUESTION IS IN REGARD TO THE LEFT ENGINE BEING ATTACHED TO THE PYLON WITH THE WITH THE VIDEO EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE, WE KNOW THAT THAT AREA NEEDS TO BE AN AREA OF FOCUS BY LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THE PYLON IS STILL ATTACHED. OR LET ME CLARIFY, THE PYLON WAS ATTACHED AT THE TIME THAT IT DISENGAGED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. NOW SUBSEQUENTLY, THERE COULD BE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED UPON ITS IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. SO I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE RELEASE PICTURES, IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE WHAT SOMEONE WOULD THINK THAT WE SAID NOW, BUT THAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO US BECAUSE IT LETS US MOVE THE FOCUS INTO OTHER AREAS. IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO DO WE IN OUR LABORATORY IN DC, WE HAVE METALLURGICAL ANALYSTS AND WE DO A LOT OF VERY SPECIFIC ANALYZATION OF THAT DATA. SO WE NEED TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT, I THINK THE QUESTION YESTERDAY IS HOW MUCH OF THE AIRPLANE WE PUT BACK TOGETHER. THIS IS AN AREA BASED UPON THE VIDEO EVIDENCE WE HAVE THAT WE KNOW WE NEED TO FOCUS, BUT IT WON’T BE THE SOLE FOCUS. IT’S ONE ASPECT OF IT, BUT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO FIGURE OUT THAT AREA, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME FORM OF CAUSE OF ISSUE OR CONCERN THERE. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THAT WAS TODD INMAN FROM THE NTSB GIVING US OUR DAILY UPDATE. THAT WAS THE THIRD ON THIS DAILY UPS PLANE CRASH AT THE LOUISVILLE AIRPORT. OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE DEBRIS FIELD IS STILL VERY ACTIVE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SPOT FIRES. THE NTSB IS WORKING WITH THE FBI TO MAKE CRASH SITES. THE CRASH SITE SAFE DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THERE ARE ALSO WORKING TO IDENTIFY ANY AREAS WHERE VICTIMS COULD BE. WE LEARNED INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LISTEN TO RECORDINGS FROM THE PLANE DURING THE CRASH, AND THEY HEARD A PERSISTENT BELL GOING OFF FOR THE LAST 25 SECONDS THAT THEY HAVE AUDIO ON THE VOICE DATA RECORDER. HEAVY EQUIPMENT IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE OF THAT CRASH SITE SOON. THE INVESTIGATORS WILL NOT LEAVE UNTIL THEY BELIEVE THEY’VE RECOVERED ALL THE EVIDENCE THEY NEED. WE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU ANY BREAKING DEVELOPMENTS ON AIR AND ONLINE DURING WLKY NEWS AT FIVE A
Cockpit recordings: ‘Persistent bell’ went off seconds before fiery UPS plane crash
Updated: 4:27 PM EST Nov 7, 2025
The National Transportation Safety Board, the agency investigating the UPS plane crash, revealed some of the data they’ve gotten from the “black box.”That device is made of two parts, including the cockpit voice recorder.The NTSB said it was able to extract more than two hours of good audio, including what pilots said and background noises.”In reviewing that audio, the crew completed their standard checklist and briefings in preparation for the flight. The takeoff roll was what we called uneventful,” NTSB board member Todd Inman said.Through the different speed callouts, he said that about 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust, a “persistent bell” was heard, and continued for 25 seconds until the end of the recording, he said.Inman pointedly referred to it as a bell, and not an alarm.During that time, he said the crew tried to control the aircraft before the crash. The left engine caught fire and fell off sometime during takeoff, which can be seen on videos. But investigators said the pylon, which connects the engine to the wing, was still attached.The confirmed the left engine is a focus area, saying, quote, “there is some form of cause, issue and concern.”This story will be updated soon.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
The National Transportation Safety Board, the agency investigating the UPS plane crash, revealed some of the data they’ve gotten from the “black box.”
That device is made of two parts, including the cockpit voice recorder.
The NTSB said it was able to extract more than two hours of good audio, including what pilots said and background noises.
“In reviewing that audio, the crew completed their standard checklist and briefings in preparation for the flight. The takeoff roll was what we called uneventful,” NTSB board member Todd Inman said.
Through the different speed callouts, he said that about 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust, a “persistent bell” was heard, and continued for 25 seconds until the end of the recording, he said.
Inman pointedly referred to it as a bell, and not an alarm.
During that time, he said the crew tried to control the aircraft before the crash.
The left engine caught fire and fell off sometime during takeoff, which can be seen on videos. But investigators said the pylon, which connects the engine to the wing, was still attached.
The confirmed the left engine is a focus area, saying, quote, “there is some form of cause, issue and concern.”
This story will be updated soon.