2LT International News

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky: A UPS cargo jet bound for Honolulu crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, erupting into a massive fireball that killed at least twelve people and injured many others, authorities said.

Three crew members of the plane were among the dead. The other 9 victims were on the ground,

The wide-body MD-11 freighter went down just before sundown in an industrial area near the airport, setting several buildings ablaze and forcing a shutdown of flight operations overnight. Officials said all three crew members aboard the aircraft were killed, along with four people on the ground.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the death toll could rise as emergency crews comb through the wreckage. “Some of the survivors have very significant injuries,” he said.

Flames from the crash ignited multiple fires in warehouses near the airfield, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the evening sky. The Louisville Fire Department battled the blaze for hours as debris littered two runways. Authorities imposed a shelter-in-place order within a five-mile radius.

Television footage captured by WLKY-TV showed one of the plane’s wings on fire as it took off, moments before it plunged to the ground. “UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time after departing from Louisville,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

Officials said the aircraft had been fueled for an 8½-hour flight to Hawaii. According to flight data from Flightradar24, the plane climbed to just 175 feet and reached a speed of 184 knots before it began a sharp descent.

Investigators will examine why the jet, designed to continue flying with one engine out, failed so catastrophically after one engine caught fire. “It’s too big a fire for a typical engine fire,” said John Cox, a U.S. air safety expert and retired pilot. “That airplane should have flown on two engines. So now we’ve got to look at what caused it not to fly.”

FAA records show the plane was 34 years old. It was first built by McDonnell Douglas before the model line was acquired by Boeing, which ended MD-11 production years ago. Boeing said it would provide investigators with technical assistance.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation and is sending a team to Louisville. The agency typically takes up to two years to determine the probable cause of such crashes.

UPS confirmed the loss of the aircraft and said its delivery network could face temporary disruptions, as the crash site sits adjacent to Worldport, the company’s largest global air hub. “Contingency plans are in place to help ensure that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as conditions permit,” the company said.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg called the tragedy “devastating” for the community. “My heart goes out to everybody at UPS, because this is a UPS town,” said Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe. “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 all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe. Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered.”

UPS employs more than 26,000 people in the Louisville area, making it the city’s largest employer. Airport officials said operations resumed on the morning of November 5.