At least 7 people includinh three crew members and four on ground were killed and 11 others injured after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded into a massive fireball shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, officials confirmed.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the wide-body MD-11 freighter, operating as UPS Flight 2976, departed around 5:15 p.m. local time en route to Honolulu when flames were spotted on one of its wings.
Video footage aired by local CBS affiliate WLKY showed the aircraft engulfed in fire as it ascended, before plunging sharply to the ground and erupting in a fiery explosion.
Fires spread through nearby industrial buildings, with thick black smoke billowing over the area. At least one person on the ground was killed, and 11 others sustained burn injuries, authorities said.
Officials fear death toll may rise
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said emergency responders were still battling multiple fires and warned that the casualty count could rise.
“Some people have suffered very significant injuries,” Beshear told reporters, adding that rescue teams were working through hazardous conditions near the airport.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a post on social media that fires were still burning near the crash site several hours after the accident. A shelter-in-place order was issued for residents within a five-mile radius of the airport.
Crew members feared dead
UPS confirmed that three crew members were on board, all of whom are feared dead. A fourth fatality was later confirmed by airport officials.
The plane was reportedly fueled for an 8.5-hour flight to Hawaii. FAA data showed it reached an altitude of 175 feet and a speed of 184 knots before sharply descending.
Investigators are now examining whether an engine detached midair, after reports of debris scattered on the runway.
FAA records show the crashed aircraft was a 34-year-old MD-11, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas before Boeing acquired the company. Boeing expressed condolences and confirmed it will provide technical support to the ongoing investigation.
The aircraft had flown from Louisville to Baltimore earlier in the day before returning. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a team to the site and will lead the investigation, which typically takes 12 to 24 months to complete.
Local impact and emotional reactions
Louisville’s airport serves as UPS Worldport, the logistics company’s global air cargo hub and largest package handling facility in the world. UPS employs over 26,000 people in the Louisville area.
“My heart goes out to everybody at UPS — this is a UPS town,” said Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe. “We all know someone who works there, and tonight, many of those messages checking in with loved ones may go unanswered.”
The crash forced the temporary closure of the airport’s airfield, potentially affecting major customers like Amazon, Walmart, and the U.S. Postal Service.
Experts say investigators will focus on understanding why a triple-engine aircraft failed to remain airborne after one engine caught fire.
Aviation safety expert John Cox said the blaze was unusually large. “That airplane should have flown on two engines,” he noted. “We need to look closely at what caused it not to.”
