#aircraft-maintenance

#aircraft-maintenance

Inside some of the Air Force's oldest refueling aircraft, technicians are crawling through tight, dirty spaces, painstakingly cleaning sealant on fuel tanks and tightening loose rivets. They climb into the dark, cramped tanks with little more than a flashlight, some tools, and shaky comms. It can be hard to breathe, the air smells like jet fuel, the fixes aren't always clear, and the punishing work can be dangerous if done wrong.

A deadly UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky stemmed from corporate choices that favored profits over safety, according to a lawyer who filed two wrongful death lawsuits Wednesday, which allege the company kept flying older aircraft without increasing maintenance beyond what's regularly scheduled. Federal officials said last month's fiery crash of the MD-11 jet happened during takeoff after the engine on the left wing detached and flew off.

A federal investigator announced earlier on Wednesday the UPS cargo plane's left wing caught fire and an engine fell off shortly after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, causing the plane to crash and explode into a fireball. The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is investigating the plane's maintenance history which was in Texas for repairs weeks before the crash.