At least seven dead and 11 injured after UPS cargo plane crashes at Louisville airport

A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded in a massive fireball on Tuesday (4 Nov) while taking off from the company’s global aviation hub in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least seven people and injuring 11, authorities said.

The plane went down at around 5:15 p.m. as it departed for Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

Three crew members were onboard at the time, UPS and officials confirmed.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the fatalities included all three crew members and four others who were not on the plane.

Jonathan Biven, a public safety officer for the airport, reported that 11 people were injured and transported to local hospitals.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said some of the injured sustained “very significant” injuries.

Video footage showed flames engulfing the plane’s left wing, followed by a trail of smoke before it briefly lifted off the ground, then crashed and exploded in a massive fireball.

Beshear added that a business, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, appeared to have been “hit pretty directly”, while a nearby auto parts operation was also affected.

Emergency Response

The crash prompted a large-scale emergency response from state and local agencies, including multiple fire departments and law enforcement teams.

The Louisville Metro Police Department warned on social media that there was an active scene near the airport with fire and debris, urging the public to avoid the area.

“This will be an ongoing active scene for the next several days. We don’t know how long it’s going to take to render that scene safe,” said Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the incident, with the NTSB taking the lead.

Airport Operations Suspended

Following the incident, the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport temporarily closed, and all departing flights were cancelled.

The airport, also known as Standiford Field, confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the airfield had been closed due to the aircraft incident.

In an update, the airport advised travellers to closely monitor their flight status as delays and cancellations were expected following the crash. The airfield is anticipated to be operational again on Wednesday.

UPS Statement

UPS said in a statement that it was halting operations on Tuesday night at Worldport.

The Next Day Air sort was also cancelled, and employees were instructed not to report for work, according to the company.

“We are terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville,” the company said.

“Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved. UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers, and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers.”

The company added that it was working closely with the NTSB and FAA.

“We will work tirelessly with state and local authorities on response efforts,” the statement added.