A UPS freight plane crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday evening, killing at least seven people and injuring 11 others.
The Louisville UPS plane crash left behind a fiery trail of destruction across roads and businesses near the airport, with videos of the incident circulating widely online.
According to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, the crash occurred around 17:15 local time (23:15 SAST) when UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft, went down just after takeoff.
The plane was bound for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“The news out of Louisville is tough tonight,” Beshear said.
“The death toll has now reached at least seven, with that number expected to rise. First responders are onsite, working hard to extinguish the fire and continue the investigation.”
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that 11 people were taken to nearby hospitals, several with serious injuries.
He added that “every emergency agency is responding to the scene,” describing the crash as one of the most severe disasters in the city’s recent history.
CNN affiliate WAVE-TV captured footage of thick black smoke stretching for miles above the city as flames engulfed buildings and vehicles near the airport.
“Anybody who has seen the images knows how violent this crash was,” Beshear said, noting that the status of the crew onboard was still unknown as of Tuesday night.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation.
The NTSB confirmed that it deployed a “go-team” of 28 experts, expected to arrive in Kentucky early Wednesday morning (19:00 SAST). The team will examine the wreckage, flight data, and maintenance logs to determine what caused the plane to go down.
Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill said that more than 100 firefighters worked through the night to contain the massive blaze.
“When you have such a large-scale fire that spreads over a huge area, we have to go grid by grid,” O’Neill said.
“We’re carefully searching to ensure we recover everyone affected.”
Emergency officials issued a shelter-in-place order for all residents within a one-mile radius of the crash site due to heavy smoke and the risk of toxic fumes.
The order, which initially covered a five-mile zone, was reduced after air quality readings improved later in the night.
UPS released a statement expressing heartbreak over the tragedy:
“Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved. UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers, and the communities we serve. We will work tirelessly with state and local authorities on response efforts.”
Witnesses described the moment of impact as terrifying. Katie Didit, a resident of New Albany, Indiana, told CNN she heard “a sound like a truck brake” before seeing a massive explosion.
“The sky turned completely black within ten minutes,” she said.
The crash marks one of the worst aviation incidents in Louisville’s history. Officials have confirmed that no hazardous materials were on board, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport temporarily suspended all flights on Tuesday evening but is expected to reopen by Wednesday morning (13:00 SAST).
As the city mourns, the Big Four Bridge — which connects Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana — was lit up in yellow lights to honour the victims.
“This tragedy has touched every corner of our city,” Mayor Greenberg wrote on X.
“We’re thinking of the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the community that calls Louisville home.”
