Major U.S. Air Crash: UPS Cargo Plane Falls During Takeoff in Louisville
A significant aviation disaster has occurred in the United States: a UPS cargo plane with a crew of three onboard crashed during takeoff from Louisville Airport, Kentucky.
The incident took place Tuesday evening, igniting a large fire on the ground and producing a thick cloud of black smoke visible from afar.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), UPS Flight 2976, en route to Honolulu, lost control and crashed at approximately 5:15 PM local time shortly after takeoff from Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Sadly, at least three people were killed, and 11 others sustained injuries of varying severity, with some in critical condition.
Witnesses report that the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, was headed to Honolulu and experienced the accident during departure from the west runway.
Footage from the scene shows fire engulfing part of the runway, with dense black smoke spreading into the sky, creating a hazardous environment for nearby residents and emergency responders.
The Louisville airport temporarily suspended all arrivals and departures, and residents living north of the airport, up to the Ohio River, were advised to stay indoors to avoid exposure to debris and smoke.
Louisville Mayor Greg Berg in a phone interview with WAVE station stated that the fire was caused by fuel leak from the aircraft, and added that emergency services are working actively at the scene.
Louisville hosts the headquarters of UPS Air Operations and its main hub, which handles about 400 flights daily.
The city has long been a key logistical hub for the company, which employs around 25,000 people locally.
The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA.
This incident follows another tragic aviation accident in August in Arizona, where a medical plane crashed en route to a hospital, killing all four onboard, including a patient.