No fewer than seven people were killed and 11 others injured when a UPS cargo plane crashed and erupted into a massive fireball shortly after takeoff from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport in the United States on Tuesday, authorities confirmed.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft, built in 1991, went down around 5:15 p.m. while departing for Honolulu from UPS Worldport, the company’s global air hub in Kentucky.
Dramatic footage captured flames shooting from the plane’s left wing as it struggled to climb, leaving a trail of smoke before slamming into the ground and exploding in a fiery blast.
Parts of a nearby building’s roof were seen shredded near the end of the runway.
Officials said four of the seven fatalities were not on board the aircraft. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear noted that some of the injured sustained “very significant” wounds.
“Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” Beshear said. He added that the condition of the three crew members on the plane was still unknown.
During a news briefing, Beshear confirmed that “several businesses were struck when a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded Tuesday.”
One of the businesses, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, appeared to have been “hit pretty directly,” while a nearby auto parts shop was also affected.
UPS, which operates its largest sorting facility in Louisville, announced that operations had been suspended following the crash.
The hub typically employs thousands, handles 300 flights daily, and processes over 400,000 packages per hour.
“We all know somebody who works at UPS,” said Louisville Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe. “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.”
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board had taken charge of the investigation, deploying a 28-member team.
The airport was closed following the incident and was not expected to reopen until Wednesday morning.
“We don’t know how long it’s going to take to render that scene safe,” said Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey.
Witnesses described terrifying scenes as the crash shook the surrounding area. Eric Richardson said he was searching for his girlfriend, who had been at a nearby metal recycling business and hadn’t answered her phone since the explosion. Her phone’s live location still placed her at the site.
Bobby Whelan, Richardson’s friend, recalled leaving the area just minutes before disaster struck.
“We don’t even want to think about anything but the best,” he said. “All our friends were there.”
Another witness, Tom Brooks Jr., who runs a metal recycling company close to the site, said the force of the explosion was overwhelming.
“This was massive. I mean, it literally looked like a war zone,” he said.
Destyn Mitchell, who was working at an Outback restaurant 15 minutes away, described how the sound of the blast startled diners.
“The mood in the restaurant was very shaken up,” she said. “Everyone is really concerned. People who just sat down to eat got up and left in under 30 minutes and packed up their food because they wanted to hurry up and get home.”
A video taken by Leirim Rodríguez showed multiple bursts of fire erupting into the air, followed by thick black smoke billowing skyward.
According to aviation attorney Pablo Rojas, early footage suggested the plane struggled to gain altitude due to a blaze near one of its engines.
“Really the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel,” he explained.
Louisville’s airport, located just 10 minutes from downtown and near residential neighborhoods and public attractions, remained cordoned off late Tuesday as emergency teams worked to secure the crash site.
