Nine Confirmed Dead After UPS Plane Crash Near Louisville Airport
At least nine people have died following a UPS cargo plane crash shortly after takeoff from Louisville International Airport yesterday, with officials continuing search and rescue operations and investigating the cause of the incident.
The death toll rose overnight, with Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirming nine victims had been located at the crash site. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear echoed the confirmation and added the possibility of additional fatalities. Earlier reports indicated at least seven deaths and eleven injuries. Approximately 16 families have reported loved ones missing, according to Governor Beshear. UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, went down around 5:15 p.m. local time three miles south of the airfield while en route to Honolulu, Hawaii.
Preliminary flight data suggests the aircraft briefly reached an altitude of 175 feet after takeoff. The plane was carrying roughly 38,000 gallons of fuel and up to 20,000 packages, contributing to the significant fire witnessed by onlookers. Debris separation, potentially involving the left engine, is being investigated as a possible factor in the crash. Louisville is a major hub for UPS, with its Worldport facility processing up to 400,000 packages per hour, making this incident particularly impactful for the local community and the broader shipping network. You can find more information about UPS Worldport on the company’s website.
Louisville International Airport briefly closed following the crash but has since reopened, though some taxiways remain closed. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with investigators arriving on scene today. A shelter-in-place order remains in effect for residents within a quarter-mile radius of the crash site, and all schools in the Jefferson County School District are closed today. The Federal Aviation Administration FAA is assisting with the investigation.
Officials are urging anyone who finds debris not to touch it but to report it through a website expected to be live soon. UPS has paused sorting operations at Worldport, canceling Second Day Air shipments for today, and anticipates potential delays as a result of the investigation.
