At least seven people were killed and 11 others were injured when a UPS cargo plane erupted in a huge fireball and crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, officials said, citing dramatic footage from the scene.
The MD-11 plane exploded around 5.15 pm, the Federal Aviation Authority announced. A chilling video posted on social media captured the moment the plane tried to take off as flames burst from its left wing. Seconds later, the aircraft exploded. Dashcam footage from nearby showed the plane slamming back onto the runway and then erupting into a fiery inferno that lit up the night sky.
Big Massacre
UPS Flight 2976, carrying three crew members and about 50,000 gallons of jet fuel, exploded just 13 minutes after takeoff. The plane went down at a petroleum recycling plant, sparking a massive blaze that burned for hours as firefighters and rescue teams rushed to the scene, officials said.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced on Tuesday night on X that seven people are believed to have been killed and 11 others were injured in the crash, warning that the toll could rise as rescue efforts continue.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg later confirmed that four people on the ground were among the dead, while the three crew members onboard the plane are presumed to have been killed.
"Right now we believe that we have at least three fatalities and I believe that number is going to get larger," Beashear told reporters. "We have at least 11 injuries, some of them very significant that are being treated at local hospitals, and again I think that number will get larger."
Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said emergency crews were still combing through the "hazard zone," searching for anyone who might still be trapped in the wreckage.
Meanwhile, the Louisville Metro Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order for everyone within five miles of the airport as aerial footage showed a long trail of fire and debris stretching from the crash site, with thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.
Not Out of Danger
Authorities later extended the shelter-in-place order to include all areas north of the airport up to the Ohio River. People living nearby were also told to shut off air intake systems in their homes and businesses to avoid inhaling the smoke.
Some of the thick black smoke drifted toward southern Indiana, prompting Beshear to alert local officials there. He said the plane struck Kentucky Petroleum Recycling "pretty directly," causing major damage. Another nearby business, Grade A Autoparts, was also close to the crash site.
Beshear said that the company had managed to reach nearly all of its workers except two.
He added that it's still unclear how many employees or customers were at the auto parts shop when the plane went down.
Councilwoman Betsy Ruhe, who represents the district where the airport sits, described Louisville as a true "UPS town," underscoring how deeply the company is connected to the community.
"My cousin's a UPS pilot. My aide's tennis partner is a UPS pilot. The intern in my office works overnight at UPS to pay for college. We all know somebody who works at UPS and they're texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everybody's safe. Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered. My heart goes out to those families and those friends," she said at the press conference.
The airport was shut down completely after the crash as investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation.
