Investigators look into 'repeating bell' heard during takeoff of UPS cargo plane that crashed

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A UPS cargo plane was nearly airborne when a bell sounded in the cockpit. For the next 25 seconds, the bell rang and the pilots tried to control the aircraft as it barely lifted off the runway, its left wing ablaze and missing an engine, and then plowed into the ground in a spectacular fireball, the chief investigator said Friday.

The crash Tuesday at UPS Worldport, the company’s global aviation hub in Louisville, Kentucky, killed 14 people, including the three pilots on the MD-11 that was headed for Honolulu.

National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said the cockpit voice recorder captured the bell that sounded about 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust. There are different types of alarms with varying meanings, he said, and investigators haven't determined why the bell rang, though they know the left wing was burning and the engine on that side had detached.

Inman said it would be months before a transcript of the cockpit recording is made public as part of that investigation process.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator, said the bell likely was signaling the engine fire.

“It occurred at a point in the takeoff where they were likely past their decision speed to abort the takeoff,” Guzzetti told The Associated Press after Inman’s news conference. “They were likely past their critical decision speed to remain on the runway and stop safely. … They’ll need to thoroughly investigate the options the crew may or may not have had.”

Dramatic video captured the aircraft crashing into businesses and erupting in a fireball. Footage from phones, cars and security cameras has given investigators evidence of what happened from many different angles.

The NTSB clarified Friday that preliminary data on the aircraft’s altitude indicated it got only about 100 feet above ground level, not 475 feet. It reached a speed of 210 mph (340 kph) before crashing just outside the airport, Inman said.

The left engine’s main component and pieces of fan blades were recovered from the airfield. Inman said UPS indicated no maintenance work was performed just before the flight. He noted investigators will look at video to see what, if anything, was being done around the MD-11 aircraft in preceding days.

The UPS package handling facility in Louisville is the company’s largest. The hub employs more than 20,000 people in the region, handles 300 flights daily and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.

UPS Worldport operations resumed Wednesday night with its Next Day Air, or night sort, operation, spokesperson Jim Mayer said.

Litigation over the crash has already begun. A federal lawsuit was filed Thursday against UPS by an automotive repair shop destroyed in the crash and a resident treated at a hospital after breathing in smoke.

The manufacturer of the plane and its engine also were named in the lawsuit, which alleges the defendants “negligently breached their duty of reasonable care and preventing unreasonable harm.” It seeks unspecified damages.

Mattise reported from Nashville. AP writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

An attendee holds a candle and flowers during a vigil Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Louisville, Ky., after a UPS plane crashed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Allen Wilson, right, hugs an attendee after they wrote on crosses for victims during a vigil Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Louisville, Ky., after a UPS plane crashed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

This photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board shows UPS plane crash scene on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 in Louisville, Ky. (NTSB via AP)

This photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board shows UPS plane crash scene on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 in Louisville, Ky. (NTSB via AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — A day later than its manager originally proclaimed, the United States punched its ticket to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.

The Americans got the help they needed from Italy and could start to relax by the middle innings as Italy routed Mexico 9-1 on Wednesday night, giving the Azzurri the top spot in Group B and assuring the Americans advancement as the second-place team.

After Vinnie Pasquantino had the WBC’s first three-homer game to lead the Italians to victory, the Kansas City Royals player had a message for the Americans.

“You’re welcome, U.S.A.,” he said. “We were thinking of you guys over at your hotel. We were thinking of you guys. So I’m glad you could join us in the party.”

Italy beat the U.S. 8-6 a night earlier, turning the Americans into spectators as they hoped to avoid elimination. The Italians — fielding a roster stacked with Americans of Italian heritage — finished 4-0 while the U.S. went 3-1.

Mexico (2-2), which lost to the U.S., was eliminated from the WBC and from qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The Americans will stay in Houston to meet Canada, which advanced past first round for the first time, on Friday night. Italy will play Puerto Rico in the other quarterfinal at Daikin Park on Saturday.

The U.S., with an All-Star-filled roster, also beat Britain and Brazil in group play.

After the loss to Italy, U.S. manager Mark DeRosa fielded questions about whether he thought his team had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals with Monday night’s win over Mexico because of his comments on a television appearance the next morning.

In that interview, he said: “Ton of respect for Italy — it’s weird — we want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals because Mexico plays Italy actually tomorrow. So, the way the schedule lines up this is an important game for us.”

DeRosa said he “misspoke” in that interview and did not believe the team had already clinched a spot.

Now that the Americans are in the quarterfinals, they know they need to win to move on to Miami.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

United States shortstop Gunnar Henderson (11) celebrates after hitting a home run in the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

United States shortstop Gunnar Henderson, right, celebrates with right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after hitting a home run in the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

United States manager Mark DeRosa watches batting practice prior to an exhibition baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)