A flawless UPS MD-11 takeoff turned into a heartbreaking catastrophe when a sudden warning bell at second thirty-seven signaled a hidden trim malfunction, leaving two experienced pilots fighting desperately for just 25 seconds before the aircraft plunged to the ground—an outcome as shocking as it was devastating.

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its third and final briefing on the crash of UPS Flight 2975, shedding unprecedented light on the 25-second window in which two experienced pilots fought to save their aircraft after an unexpected cockpit warning shattered the calm of an otherwise flawless takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport

The new details provide the clearest, and most haunting, reconstruction yet of what unfolded aboard the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in the early hours of the morning, moments after the cargo jet lifted off runway 17R on a routine long-haul mission to Honolulu.

According to the NTSB, the event began at 4:53 a.m., just seconds after departure.

The jet had climbed smoothly through 300 feet when a repeating alert bell, sharp and unmistakable, echoed through the cockpit.

This tone—distinctive in MD-11 aircraft—signals major configuration or control anomalies.

Nothing in the aircraft’s pre-flight checklists hinted that such a warning would appear.

The cockpit voice recorder confirms the crew’s procedures were precise and calm, their dialogue steady, their tone controlled.

Captain Elias Morgan, 52, a UPS veteran with more than 15,000 flight hours, and First Officer Laura Kim, 38, a former Air Force C-17 pilot known among colleagues for her meticulous technical discipline, had completed every item of the checklist without hesitation.

The weather was ideal: calm winds, clear skies, good visibility.

“Everything’s green,” Kim noted during taxi.

“Copy that,” Morgan replied calmly.

The aircraft’s performance data from the takeoff roll show normal thrust, balanced acceleration, and no instrument irregularities.

The takeoff itself was textbook.

At rotation, the MD-11 lifted smoothly from the runway.

Gear retraction was clean, the climb steady, and the cockpit audio revealed no signs of stress.

“Positive rate.” “Gear up.”

Their cadence reflected confidence.

Years of training.

Flights like this one were routine—almost procedural.

And then came the bell.

At exactly 37 seconds after liftoff, the calm broke.

The warning tone cut through the cockpit with a sharp, rhythmic beep.

This kind of alert does not activate casually; it demands immediate attention.

“What’s that?” Kim said, her voice firm but unmistakably startled.

Morgan responded instantly, scanning the flight controls.

“Check pitch trim,” he said.

Data from the flight data recorder later confirmed an anomalous left-side elevator trim shift, occurring at a rate far beyond normal parameters.

From that moment, the aircraft’s behavior changed.

The MD-11 began to oscillate in pitch—subtle at first, then progressively stronger.

Investigators emphasize that the aircraft remained flyable, but only barely.

Morgan disconnected the autopilot: “My aircraft,” he announced—a standard command during emergencies.

Kim focused on stabilizing the trim.

“It’s moving on its own,” she reported, breathing harder as the pitch forces increased.

The aircraft rolled slightly left, then corrected abruptly right.

The NTSB briefing details that the crew had only 25 seconds of effective control after the warning bell first sounded.

The MD-11—known in aviation circles for its unforgiving behavior when unstable at low altitude—entered an increasingly steep oscillation.

At 52 seconds after liftoff, the jet reached its maximum altitude of just 940 feet.

It then abruptly pitched nose-down in a descent the pilots could not arrest.

The final cockpit exchanges lasted less than four seconds.

Kim: “Trim’s still running—can’t hold—”
Morgan: “I’ve got it—just—”
(impact)

The aircraft crashed in a grassy field southeast of the airport, breaking apart and igniting instantly.

Both pilots died on impact.

What caused the trim anomaly remains the central question.

Investigators are examining the possibility of an electrical fault, a jammed linkage, or a control-surface runaway—rare but documented in earlier MD-11 incidents worldwide.

Aviation experts note that trim malfunctions at low altitude are among the most difficult emergencies to recover from, especially on aircraft as sensitive as the MD-11.

The NTSB concluded its briefing by affirming that the crew acted decisively, professionally, and in full accordance with training.

But their actions were overwhelmed by an event that unfolded faster than any training scenario could realistically mirror.

The board’s final statement captured the tragedy plainly: “A stable flight became unrecoverable in seconds.

The crew’s response was immediate, skilled, and heroic.

But the forces acting on the aircraft were escalating too rapidly to overcome.”

The investigation may have closed, but one question lingers over the aviation community—a question that began the moment the bell sounded:

What happened inside the aircraft at second thirty-seven, and why did a perfect takeoff turn into an irreversible catastrophe in less than a minute?