At least nine people lost their lives when a UPS plane went down shortly after takeoff near the Louisville International Airport on Tuesday. The incident occurred around 5:15 p.m. local time, just hours before the plane was set to depart for Honolulu, Hawaii.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as "violent" and chaotic, with the aircraft partially on fire as it sped down the runway. Debris from the separation of the left engine may have been sucked into another engine, rendering the plane unable to generate enough lift to take off.
The three-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel and was headed for Hawaii when the crash occurred. The aircraft was manufactured in 1991 and was carrying a cargo of up to 20,000 packages.
Injuries were reported at the scene, with officials initially stating that at least 11 people had been injured. However, this number has since risen as more victims have been accounted for.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed on social media Tuesday night that there had been four fatalities on the ground near the airport. This number has since increased to nine, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.
The crash occurred just a few miles from the UPS Worldport facility, an international air hub for the parcel service. The facility processes over 400,000 packages per hour and is home to 20,000 UPS workers. As a result, operations have been halted in the area, with all arriving and departing flights suspended.
Firefighters responded quickly to the scene, battling hot spots and eventually extinguishing the fire. However, the crash has had a significant impact on local businesses, including Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, which were heavily impacted by the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the crash, with a team of 28 investigators expected to arrive at the scene on Wednesday. The investigation could take several days or even weeks to complete.
As officials struggle to comprehend the cause of the crash, families are left waiting anxiously for news about their loved ones. "Anybody who has seen the images and the video knows how violent this crash is, and there are a lot of families that are gonna be waiting and wondering for a period of time," Beshear said.
The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the risks involved in air travel and the importance of safety protocols. As officials work to piece together what happened, one thing is clear: the impact will be felt by families, businesses, and the community at large for days to come.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as "violent" and chaotic, with the aircraft partially on fire as it sped down the runway. Debris from the separation of the left engine may have been sucked into another engine, rendering the plane unable to generate enough lift to take off.
The three-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel and was headed for Hawaii when the crash occurred. The aircraft was manufactured in 1991 and was carrying a cargo of up to 20,000 packages.
Injuries were reported at the scene, with officials initially stating that at least 11 people had been injured. However, this number has since risen as more victims have been accounted for.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed on social media Tuesday night that there had been four fatalities on the ground near the airport. This number has since increased to nine, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.
The crash occurred just a few miles from the UPS Worldport facility, an international air hub for the parcel service. The facility processes over 400,000 packages per hour and is home to 20,000 UPS workers. As a result, operations have been halted in the area, with all arriving and departing flights suspended.
Firefighters responded quickly to the scene, battling hot spots and eventually extinguishing the fire. However, the crash has had a significant impact on local businesses, including Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, which were heavily impacted by the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the crash, with a team of 28 investigators expected to arrive at the scene on Wednesday. The investigation could take several days or even weeks to complete.
As officials struggle to comprehend the cause of the crash, families are left waiting anxiously for news about their loved ones. "Anybody who has seen the images and the video knows how violent this crash is, and there are a lot of families that are gonna be waiting and wondering for a period of time," Beshear said.
The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the risks involved in air travel and the importance of safety protocols. As officials work to piece together what happened, one thing is clear: the impact will be felt by families, businesses, and the community at large for days to come.
just can't believe this is happening again... nine lives lost already 
and it's not even close to the end of the flight... 38k gallons of fuel on board, that's a lot to process... can you imagine if the plane had made it to Hawaii? 
at least the fire department was quick to respond, but still... this is such a sad day for everyone involved 
and what about those cargo packages, were they causing any issues? seems like this UPS plane was meant to be the safest in the skies but nope, nature had other plans. all these families are waiting for answers and I'm sure it's gonna take a while to figure out what happened here. safety protocols, yeah right... sometimes it just happens, but still 
and now the whole world is talkin about it, like what did we miss out on?!?! 
and i feel 4 the ppl who r still waitin 2 hear from their loved ones... my heart goes out 2 them too 
this is such sad news... a plane crash is always devastating, and now 9 people have lost their lives... it's crazy that it happened just hours before the flight was set to take off 
and the impact on local businesses will be felt for a long time 
hopefully the NTSB can get to the bottom of this crash soon 
. This incident is a harsh reminder of how quickly things can go wrong in the air. The fact that it happened at an airport with a huge parcel hub like UPS Worldport makes it even more alarming 
.
.
. And now the whole area is shut down, big deal... thousands of UPS workers are going to lose their jobs or their paychecks will be severely impacted 
. Not to mention all those innocent people who got hurt in the crash 
. And can we even get some actual updates on the investigation instead of just vague statements from politicians? It's like they're not even taking this seriously 
... i just hope the NTSB can get to the bottom of what caused this disaster ASAP 
... we need our communities to come together in support of one another 
.
. Let's just take a deep breath and hope that justice is served soon 
hopefully the investigation can get to the bottom of it and give some families some closure soon 
i feel so bad for the families of those who were on board, i mean can u imagine not knowing what happened to ur loved one? 
I mean, I know accidents happen but this feels like a huge mistake in terms of formatting... 
.
this is so sad 
... and with so many people injured too 
... anyway, the NTSB team is on its way to investigate, but we'll all be waiting anxiously for answers