By Kimberly Hayek
A UPS cargo plane crashed on Tuesday near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky, killing at least seven and injuring 11, with the governor noting many of the injured face “significant injuries.”
“Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at a press conference Tuesday night.
The plane was headed to Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport when it crashed, causing a massive explosion, at about 5:15 p.m. A UPS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that three crew members were on board.
At least two nearby businesses were impacted by the crash, which appeared to take place in a busy industrial park, the governor said during a press conference.
In a video circulating on social media, the plane’s left engine can be seen on fire as it attempts to elevate its altitude, before scraping the roof of an industrial building across from the runway and crashing into the industrial park in a fireball, causing black smoke to rise into the sky. The plane was likely fully fueled for its long trip to Honolulu.
Louisville International is not expected to continue operations until Wednesday morning.
“We don’t know how long it’s going to take to render that scene safe,” said Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey.
The governor said family-owned Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, a liquid waste facility, seemed to have been “hit pretty directly,” and a nearby auto parts operation was also impacted.
UPS Worldport is based at the airport, making it a global hub for the package delivery company’s air cargo division, and the airport is its biggest package handling location worldwide.
Louisville Metro Police Department, which has implemented shelter-in-place orders in the area, said on social media that it responded to calls of an airplane crash near Fern Valley and Grade Lane and that there were reports of injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the airplane involved was UPS Flight 2976, which crashed at approximately 5:15 p.m. local time after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
“The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu,” reads the FAA’s post, which also noted that the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation in conjunction with the FAA.
Beshear earlier in the day acknowledged the reports in a post on X.
“First responders are on site, and we will share more information as available,” he said. “Please pray for the pilots, crew, and everyone affected.
“The situation is serious,” he said in a separate X post. “Please pray for the families affected.”
According to FlightRadar24, a flight tracking service, the plane had flown from Louisville to Baltimore earlier on Tuesday before returning to Louisville. The flight from Louisville to Honolulu generally lasts 8.5 hours.
“UPS has been notified of an incident/accident involving one of our aircraft in Louisville, KY,” UPS posted on X.
The Louisville International Airport made a statement around 6:37 p.m. local time, saying emergency crews were on scene. The airport said the plane was departing from the west runway en route to Honolulu.
“At this time, all arriving and departing flights at SDF are temporarily suspended and the airfield is closed,” the airport wrote in a social media post.
Jacki Thrapp and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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