The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has unveiled photos related to the fatal plane crash on November 5 at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. These images depict the dramatic incident where a UPS cargo plane’s engine detached and ignited shortly after taking off.

According to the NTSB’s preliminary report, surveillance footage from the airport captured the left engine and its pylon breaking away from the wing soon after the aircraft lifted off, sparking a fire in the process.

As outlined in the report, the detached left engine hit the ground, causing a blaze near where the left pylon was connected to the wing. This fire persisted until the aircraft ultimately crashed into a nearby storage yard and impacted two additional buildings.

The MD-11 aircraft model is equipped with three engines: one on each wing and a third on the tail. The wing engines are mounted via pylons, which are secured to the wing through both forward and aft mounts.

The NTSB’s released photos provide a visual sequence of the tragic events leading to the UPS plane’s crash earlier this month.

During the incident, the left pylon’s aft mount broke when both supporting arms snapped, causing the engine to detach, according to the report.

Investigators found the failure began with hidden internal cracks that spread until the metal broke apart.

The NTSB also found tiny cracks that grew over time around boltholes in the mount, until investigators said it failed under normal stress.

The UPS plane was seen on fire prior to the fatal Nov. 5 crash. (NTSB)

Black box data showed the plane only reached about 30 feet above ground level prior to the crash, which killed 14 people, including the three pilots, and injured 23 others.

The report noted a similar failure happened on May 25, 1979, when American Airlines flight 191 crashed at Chicago-O’Hare International Airport.

Officials determined the 1979 crash was caused by the separation of the engine and pylon, which also led to catastrophic loss of control, according to the NTSB.

Officials shared a photo of the flight track prior to the deadly crash. (NTSB)

Flight 191 crashed into the open field and the wreckage scattered into an adjacent trailer park, killing all 271 people onboard the flight, two people on the ground, and injuring two others.

Two days after the Nov. 5 crash, UPS grounded its entire MD-11 fleet.

An FAA Emergency Airworthiness Directive issued a day later grounded all MD-11/MD-11F aircraft until inspections were completed.