KENTUCKY — A UPS wide-body cargo plane crashed and burst into flames moments after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, killing seven people — including all three crew members on board — and injuring 11 others on the ground, officials confirmed.
The crash occurred shortly before sunset, igniting multiple fires across an industrial corridor near the airport, forcing authorities to suspend all flight operations overnight. The airport, which hosts UPS Worldport, the company’s global air cargo hub and largest package-handling facility, is expected to reopen Wednesday morning, officials said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the MD-11 freighter, operating as UPS Flight 2976, went down around 5:15 p.m. local time, minutes after takeoff for Honolulu. The 34-year-old aircraft was fueled for an eight-and-a-half-hour flight.
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Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that four people died on the ground, while 11 others were hospitalized with injuries. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear later said the death toll stood at seven and could rise, noting that some victims had sustained “very significant” injuries.
Video footage aired by WLKY News showed flames trailing from the aircraft moments before impact, followed by a massive explosion. Several nearby industrial buildings — including a petroleum recycling centre and an auto parts warehouse — were engulfed in fire, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Preliminary reports suggested that one of the plane’s three engines may have detached midair before the crash. Aviation expert John Cox said the scale of the fire was “too large for a typical engine fire,” raising questions about a potential structural or fuel-system failure.
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Authorities imposed a temporary shelter-in-place order for residents within an eight-kilometre radius due to air-quality concerns. The order was later narrowed to a one-mile zone as fires were contained.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken charge of the investigation and dispatched a team to the site. It is expected to take 12–24 months to determine the cause and issue safety recommendations.
UPS, which employs around 26,000 people in Louisville, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. “We are terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville,” the company said in a statement, adding that contingency plans were being implemented to minimize disruptions to deliveries.
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Boeing, which acquired McDonnell Douglas and ended production of the MD-11 series, said it would provide technical assistance to investigators. Louisville Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe described the incident as a devastating blow to the community. “My heart goes out to everybody at UPS, because this is a UPS town,” she said. “We all know someone who works there — and sadly, some of those texts tonight will go unanswered.”