UPS Cargo Plane Crashes and Explodes After Take Off from Louisville Airport

A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff Tuesday evening at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least seven people and injuring 11 others, officials said.

The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F bound for Honolulu, lifted off from the runway at about 5:15 p.m. local time when it appeared to experience an engine fire or separation and lost lift, then crashed into two nearby industrial businesses - including a petroleum recycling plant and an auto-parts yard.

Videos captured the aircraft erupting into a massive fireball, sending plumes of black smoke high above the airport and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Of the confirmed fatalities, three were the plane’s crew; others were ground personnel at nearby businesses. Several employees remain unaccounted for. Emergency services from across Kentucky mobilised, with more than 100 firefighters battling the blaze. A shelter-in-place order was issued around the crash zone.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched a full probe into the cause of the tragedy. Operations at UPS’s large global hub at Louisville have been suspended, potentially disrupting cargo deliveries.

Louisville’s mayor, Craig Greenberg, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called the event “catastrophic” and pledged support for victims and families. The death toll is expected to rise as more people remain missing and searches continue.

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