LOUISVILLE, Ky. — At least three people were killed and 11 others injured Tuesday evening when a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, erupting into a massive fireball Fox BusinessWdrb, officials said.
UPS Flight 2976, bound for Honolulu, experienced what Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear described as a “catastrophic crash” around 5:15 p.m. local time Wdrb. The MD-11 aircraft, carrying three crew members, caught fire during takeoff WLWT, with dramatic video footage showing flames engulfing the plane’s left wing before the aircraft exploded on the ground.
According to preliminary flight data, the plane briefly reached only 175 feet in altitude after takeoff CBS News. The aircraft was carrying approximately 280,000 pounds of fuel for its transpacific flight to Hawaii, which Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said led to the significant fire CBS News.
The crash occurred near UPS Worldport, the company’s massive international air hub that spans 5.2 million square feet, processes more than 400,000 packages per hour, and employs 20,000 workers CBS News.
Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for all areas within a five-mile radius of the airport extending north to the Ohio River. All arriving and departing flights at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport have been temporarily suspended CBS News.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the crash. The MD-11 aircraft involved was manufactured in 1991 CNN.
Governor Beshear urged prayers for those affected, calling the situation “serious.” Emergency crews from multiple agencies are responding to the scene, battling the intense fire fueled by the plane’s full fuel load.
