At least four dead after UPS plane crashes in Kentucky, erupts into ball of fire

At least four people were killed and 11 others injured after a UPS wide-body cargo plane crashed and erupted into a massive fireball shortly after takeoff on Tuesday from Louisville, Kentucky, authorities said.

Flames from the crash ignited a string of fires on the ground in an industrial corridor adjacent to the international airport, apparently accounting for one of the confirmed fatalities and the injuries of 11 people, who according to airport officials were taken to hospital.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said some people suffered "very significant" injuries and that he expected the number of casualties to grow as emergency personnel extinguished fires still burning near the airport.

The triple-engine plane was fueled for an 8-1/2 hour flight to Honolulu. The aircraft carried a crew of three, according to UPS. Federal officials said all those aboard were feared dead. A Louisville airport spokesperson later said a fourth fatality was confirmed.

Television channel WLKY, a CBS affiliate, showed video of the crash as it occurred. Fire on one wing was visible in the video as the plane took off, and a fireball erupted as it hit the ground. Several buildings in an industrial area beyond the runway were on fire after the crash, with thick black smoke rising into the evening sky.

"UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 pm local time on Tuesday, November 4, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

One key question investigators will look at is whether the engine separated before the crash, a person briefed on the matter said, noting video reports of debris on the airfield.

US air safety expert and pilot John Cox said investigators will need to look at why the plane with three engines failed to fly after the first one caught fire.

“It’s too big a fire for a normal, typical-engine fire,” Cox said. “It’s much too big.”

“That airplane should have flown on two engines. So now we’ve got to look at what caused it not to fly,” he added.

Fires were still burning near the airport, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a social media post shortly before 7 pm ET (0000 GMT).

Officials issued a shelter-in-place order for all locations within five miles (8 km) of the airport.

CRASH INVOLVED 34-YEAR-OLD PLANE

FAA records show the plane involved in the crash, an MD-11 freighter, was 34 years old. Boeing, which shut down the MD-11 program after acquiring it in its merger with McDonnell Douglas, said it was concerned for the safety and well-being of all those affected, and it would provide technical support to the investigation.

Flightradar24 said the plane, which began operations with UPS in 2006, had flown from Louisville to Baltimore earlier on Tuesday before returning to Louisville. The flight from Louisville to Honolulu typically takes 8-1/2 hours, the flight tracking service said.

The aircraft climbed to an altitude of 175 feet and reached a speed of 184 knots before making a sharp descent, according to data from Flightradar24.

UPS said it had yet to confirm any injuries or casualties due to the accident.

A National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson said it would be leading the investigation and it was sending a team to the site.

The NTSB typically takes 12 to 24 months to complete an investigation, make a finding of probable cause and issue recommendations to help avoid similar incidents.

The Louisville airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the delivery firm's air cargo operations and its largest package handling facility in the world.

UPS is the largest employer in Louisville, providing 26,000 jobs in the area, according to the publication Louisville Business First.

Its deep roots in the community extend beyond employment numbers.

"My heart goes out to everybody at UPS, because this is a UPS town," Louisville Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe, whose district includes the airport, said at the press conference.

"My cousin's a UPS pilot. My aide's tennis partner is a UPS pilot. The intern in my office works overnight at UPS to pay for college. We all know somebody who works at UPS, and they're all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe. Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered."

The Louisville airport said the airfield was closed after the incident. The crash will likely disrupt deliveries for UPS, and its major customers including Amazon, Walmart and the United States Postal Service. Walmart and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.