Seven people have been confirmed dead after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded into flames shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday evening.
Officials said 11 others were injured, while fires from the crash forced airport operations to shut down overnight.
According to Reuters, the wide-body cargo aircraft went down minutes after departure from the airport, which serves as the global hub for UPS’s air operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that “UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.”
In a viral video seen by Dockaysworld, one of the plane’s wings appeared to be on fire moments before it struck the ground, erupting into a massive fireball.
Thick black smoke was seen rising into the sky as several nearby industrial buildings caught fire.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said four of the victims died on the ground, while 11 others were hospitalized with varying degrees of injuries.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed the overall death toll at seven, warning that the number could rise as recovery efforts continued.
UPS said in a statement that some deliveries “may be affected” by the crash but noted that “contingency plans are in place to help ensure shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as conditions permit.”
Aviation safety expert John Cox said the scale of the blaze suggested a serious failure.
“It’s too big a fire for a normal, typical engine fire,” he explained. “That airplane should have flown on two engines. So now we’ve got to look at what caused it not to fly.”
Airport operations are expected to resume on Wednesday morning.
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