'Dangerous and unsafe': Plane crash families file suit against UPS, GE

Stephanie Kuzydym, Louisville Courier Journal

Wed, December 3, 2025 at 3:09 PM UTC

4 min read

This story will be updated.

wo wrongful death lawsuits filed Dec. 3 in Jefferson Circuit Court claim negligence by several major companies affiliated with UPS Flight 2976, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4, killing 14.

The two lawsuits, which mostly mirror each other, are filed on behalf of the families of Angela Anderson, 45, and Trina Chavez, 37. Each seeks punitive damages.

Anderson, a mother of three daughters and a son, was dropping off scrap at Grade A Auto Parts and Recycling when the plane crashed. She remodeled houses. She would have turned 46 on Nov. 23.

Chavez, a 37-year-old mother of two, was employed at Grade A.

The suits name UPS and UPS Air, as well as GE, the engine manufacturer, and Boeing, which acquired McDonnell Douglas, the original manufacturer of the MD-11. It also names VT San Antonio Aerospace Inc., or VT SAA, an engineering and aerospace company. The company provided maintenance and repair services to UPS-owned MD-11s, according to the suits.

The lawsuits allege UPS and UPS Air negligently allowed the MD-11 to fly "despite defects or unsafe conditions affecting the left wing, left engine or related components."

They also claim GE, the engine maker, failed to employ safe methods to "adequately design, manufacture, maintain and/or operate the CF6 engine on UPS Flight 2976."

The lawsuits allege Boeing, as well as VT SAA, knew or should have known that the MD-11 used for Flight 2976 was "in disrepair or otherwise dangerous and unsafe."

The Courier Journal requested comment from GE, Boeing and VT San Antonio Aerospace, but did not receive an immediate response.

UPS spokespersons Michelle Polk and Jim Mayer said Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, respectively, that those at the company "remain deeply saddened for those affected by Flight 2976."

"UPS is fully supporting the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the accident and working tirelessly with federal, state and local authorities on response efforts," the statement said. "We do not comment on pending litigation."

Louisville attorney Sam Aguiar of Aguiar Injury Lawyers, along with attorneys from the Chicago-based Clifford Law Office, represent the families.

Clifford Law Offices and founding partner Robert A. Clifford represented plane crash victims family across the last four decades, including 9/11.

A preliminary report and a fleet grounded

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the crash Nov. 20. The NTSB's investigation found the left engine detached from the plane and caught fire. The report also said the investigation found evidence of "fatigue cracks" on the left pylon aft mount lug fractures.

The engines are attached to the plane by pylons. The pylons attach to the wing's underside, providing a mounting point for the engines.

Parts of the left engine were found on an adjacent runway, The Courier Journal previously reported.

Boeing recommended on Nov. 7 all operators of the MD-11 — including FedEx and Western Global — ground the aircrafts. UPS temporarily grounded its MD-11 fleet, which makes up about 9% of UPS Airlines' fleet, according to the company.

Then, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive on Nov. 8 prohibiting further flight of the MD-11.

On Nov. 14, the FAA issued another Emergency Airworthiness Directive, adding nine other models of similar planes to the grounding, including models of similar design, like the MD-10 and the DC-10. The FAA's directive stated the planes "are subject to the same unsafe condition" as the MD-11.

"Before the FAA issued its Emergency Airworthiness Directive for all MD-11 operators, UPS proactively grounded its MD-11 fleet out of an abundance of caution," UPS said in a Nov. 20 statement. "We appreciate the National Transportation Safety Board’s prompt release of preliminary findings and will fully support the investigation through its conclusion."

UPS officials believe it will be several months before MD-11s return to the skies, according to an internal letter obtained by The Courier Journal and later confirmed by a UPS spokesperson.

The letter, issued to employees by UPS Airlines President Bill Moore the week of Nov. 24, said the company's MD-11 fleet will require inspections and potential repairs that are more extensive than originally believed.

The planes are expected to remain grounded for "several months instead of weeks as originally anticipated," Moore said in the letter.

Killian Baarlaer, Monroe Trombly, Connor Giffin, Olivia Evans and Matthew Glowicki contributed to this report.

Stephanie Kuzydym is an enterprise and investigative sports reporter. Reach her at skuzydym@courier-journal.com or on social at @stephkuzy.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: UPS plane crash victims' families file lawsuit

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