At least seven people were killed when a UPS cargo plane crashed on takeoff from the Louisville, Kentucky airport on Tuesday evening, the state’s governor said.
Andy Beshear said the plane’s three crew members were likely killed after the cargo plane exploded as it departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport around 17:15 local time (22:15 GMT).
At least 11 people were injured when the plane crashed, sending plumes of thick black smoke rising into the sky.
Officials said people suffered “very serious” injuries in the incident and warned the death toll could rise.
The two employees of the auto business who were involved in the crash remained unaccounted for as of Tuesday evening, and it is not known how many customers were at the scene at the time of the accident.
UPS said in a statement that “three crew members were on board” and that “no injuries or casualties were confirmed.”
A preliminary investigation is ongoing, but officials said it is too early to determine the cause of the crash.
But officials say the massive fire was caused by the amount of fuel on board the aircraft, which began the approximately 4,000-mile (6,920 km) journey to Hawaii.
The aircraft was carrying 38,000 gallons (144,000 liters) of fuel at the time of the crash.
It was not confirmed what cargo was on the plane, but officials said the plane was not carrying items with a high risk of contamination.
The explosion devastated at least two nearby businesses, including an oil recycling company. Due to concerns about further explosions and air pollution, an evacuation order was initially issued within 5 miles of the airport, but was later reduced to 1 mile.
All flights departing Tuesday evening were canceled, the airport said in a statement to X.
Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said the amount of fuel spilled at the scene of the accident made the situation “very dangerous.”
An order warning people to evacuate was scaled back Tuesday night from a five-mile radius to a one-mile radius from the airport as crews worked to extinguish the fire.
At the news conference, Beshear warned people not to go to the crash site.
“Anyone who has seen the images and videos will know how violent these clashes were,” he said.
“There are still dangerous things out there that are flammable and potentially explosive.”
Beshear said he would not “speculate” about the cause of the incident, adding that the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) will lead the investigation.
The NTSB investigative team is scheduled to arrive in Kentucky on Wednesday.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Paul Humphrey said the crash site will continue to be an “active scene for the next few days.”
He added: “We don’t know how long it will take to make that scene safe so the investigation can proceed.”
The aircraft model in question is an MD-11F triple-engine plane, which was first put into service as a passenger aircraft by Thai Airways 34 years ago, but was transferred to UPS in 2006.
The aircraft was originally manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997.
In 2023, both FedEx and UPS announced plans to begin retiring MD-11 vehicles over the next decade as part of their fleet modernization plans.
Boeing said in a statement: “We stand ready to support our customers and our concern is the safety and well-being of everyone affected.”
It added that it would provide technical assistance to the NTSB.
Louisville is home to UPS Worldport, the global hub for the delivery company’s air cargo operations and the world’s largest package handling facility.
At a news conference, Louisville Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe said the city is a “UPS town” and every resident will know who works for the company.
“They are all texting their friends and family, trying to make sure everyone is safe,” she said.
UPS said in a statement it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and would suspend package sorting operations at Waldport Tuesday night.
“UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, customers, and the communities we serve, especially in Louisville, home to our airlines and thousands of UPS employees.”
State Senator Keturah Herron said: “Many of us watch our families and loved ones pass through (Louisville Airport) on a regular basis.”
In a post to
He added: “We are so grateful to the brave emergency responders who rushed to the scene to help extinguish the fire and support all the victims on the scene.”
