At least seven people died and eleven were injured after a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft operated by United Parcel Service (UPS) crashed shortly after taking off from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The accident occurred around 5:15 p.m. local time, as the aircraft was beginning its flight to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
Accident Details: In-Flight Fire and Explosion on Impact
The aircraft, operating as UPS Flight 2976, took off with a visible fire on one of its wings. Footage captured by WLKY, a CBS affiliate, shows the plane turning into a massive fireball upon impact with the ground. The fire spread to several buildings in an industrial area near the runway, generating a dense column of black smoke.
According to data from Flightradar24, the aircraft reached an altitude of 175 feet and a speed of 184 knots before beginning an abrupt descent. The data also indicated that the plane had flown earlier that day between Louisville and Baltimore, returning to its base before the fateful takeoff for Hawaii.
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Official Reactions and Emergency Measures
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the number of dead and injured is preliminary and could rise.
UPS reported that the aircraft was carrying three crew members, though it has not yet officially confirmed if there are casualties among them.
Local authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for all residents and businesses within a five-mile (8 km) radius of the airport.
The MD-11 involved in the accident was 34 years old and had been incorporated into the UPS fleet in 2006.
Ongoing Investigation and Potential Logistical Repercussions
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will take over the accident investigation and has dispatched a team to the site.
Louisville International Airport, home to the UPS Worldport global logistics hub—the company’s largest package processing facility—halted operations following the accident. This disruption is expected to affect deliveries for major clients such as Amazon, Walmart, and the U.S. Postal Service. So far, neither Amazon nor Walmart has issued any comments on the matter.
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