The engine of a UPS cargo plane that burst into flames in Kentucky actually detached from the aircraft during takeoff, officials said. The chilling explosion left 12 people dead in what witnesses described as an "apocalyptic" scene — something that looked straight out of a 'Terminator' movie.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane erupted in flames less than 15 minutes after taking off from Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport late at night. Authorities haven't yet determined whether the blast was caused by a mechanical failure or something external. Records show the aircraft was at least 34 years old, and its fuel tank had undergone repairs just two months earlier, in September.
Into a Fireball
"We have viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll," National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Member Todd Inman said at a Wednesday news conference.
Although the NTSB hasn't released the official footage yet, videos circulating online show UPS Flight 2976's left engine blazing as the plane skidded across the runway at Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Moments later, the aircraft slammed into the ground and exploded into a massive fireball, killing all three crew members on board and at least eight others on the ground — reportedly including a child.
"We believe that we will learn that there was one child in those 11 and a young child at that which makes it all the harder," Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters.
"We do not expect to find anyone else alive in the area," he told reporters, adding that the operation had moved from rescue to recovery mode.
The NTSB confirmed that the plane's black box has been recovered.
Mystery Deepens
Flight 2976 crashed into a petroleum recycling center and an auto salvage yard near the runway, sparking a massive blaze. Materials at the petroleum facility ignited, sending towering flames into the sky that burned for hours and completely destroyed the site.
"Where the plane hit, at best, is destroyed. What you see are mangled remnants of what was in its path completely burned and blackened," Gov. Beshear said after visiting the site.
Fortunately, all workers at the petroleum facility had already clocked out, and no one there was hurt—except for a beloved shop cat named Bob, who has not been seen since.
Dash cam footage captured the terrifying moment the plane failed to stay airborne, flipping before crashing into the ground. The impact ignited a wall of flames that engulfed a lot full of container trucks, some of which were completely consumed by fire.
"Ohhh s—t!" a driver seated near the explosion in one of those trucks as his face lit up from the flames. "Oh my f—king god!"
Another video showed people running for their lives as towering flames shot into the sky. A sudden burst of blue and green fire, accompanied by a loud hiss, erupted when something inside the petroleum facility apparently exploded, adding to the chaos.
"The skies over Louisville looked apocalyptic last night. People scared all over our community, debris falling, ash falling, people sheltering in place," Kentucky Rep. Morgan McGarvey said after Beshear spoke.
"It was like a scene out of a 'Terminator' movie," he added.
