A UPS cargo plane crashed just seconds after taking off from Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday, erupting into a fireball that swept across an industrial area near the airport.
The aircraft was bound for Hawaii when it went down. Officials confirmed that at least 12 people died, while Kentucky’s governor warned that the death toll is expected to rise.
The MD-11 freighter was bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, with three crew members on board.
Here is what we know:
What happened at Louisville?
UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport at about 5:20 pm (22:20 GMT) on Tuesday.
It climbed to an altitude of just 50 metres (164ft) before crashing less than 2km (1.2 miles) from the airport’s boundary and into an industrial area.
According to reports, the aircraft veered off the runway and collided with several nearby structures. It was carrying 144,000 litres (38,000 gallons) of fuel when it crashed.
“There’s very little to contain the flames, and really the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel,” aviation lawyer Pablo Rojas told The Associated Press news agency.
UPS and FedEx still use several MD-11 cargo jets, a model last built in 2000. The companies are gradually retiring the planes as they shift to newer, more efficient aircraft.
Where did the UPS flight crash?
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport sits about 11 km (7 miles) south of downtown Louisville, near the Indiana state border.
The airport is surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and is only a short distance from several local landmarks.
The plane struck two businesses near the airport – Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, an auto salvage yard. The nearby Ford Motor assembly plant, where thousands of workers build SUVs, was not directly hit but experienced a temporary power outage.
The airport resumed operations on Wednesday, with at least one runway open.
How did the plane crash?
The plane rose to about 53 metres (175 feet) and reached a speed of 184 knots before suddenly dropping, according to Flightradar24 data.
During the takeoff roll or soon thereafter, surveillance footage and initial investigations showed that the left engine detached from the wing. A fire erupted in the left wing region, likely triggered or exacerbated by the engine separation.
The plane lifted off and cleared the end of the runway fence, but then crashed into nearby industrial buildings off airport property, creating a fireball and debris field stretching about 0.8km (0.5 miles).
The engine was found on the ground at the airport, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said in a news briefing on Wednesday.
“We have viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll,” NTSB member Todd Inman said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
According to local media reports, the crash caused a devastating chain reaction, triggering smaller explosions at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling.
Flightradar24 said the plane, which began operations with UPS in 2006, had flown from Louisville to Baltimore earlier on Tuesday before returning to Louisville.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator, told The Associated Press it’s still too soon to determine whether the issue during the crash originated in the engine itself, the structure supporting it, or another part of the aircraft.
“It could have been the engine partially coming off and ripping out fuel lines. Or it could have been a fuel leak igniting and then burning the engine off. It’s just too soon to tell,” he said.
Investigators said they had located the aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, or so-called black boxes, and would be taking the devices to Washington, DC, for analysis.
What do we know about the victims?
Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear confirmed that 12 people have died so far, but warned that 16 families had reported loved ones who remain unaccounted for.
Beshear said he did not know the status of the three UPS crew members on board the cargo plane. It was not clear if they were being counted among the dead.
Eleven other people have been injured and are being treated in hospital – but local officials say that figure is also likely to rise.
At a news briefing, Beshear said authorities were still searching for missing people but no longer expected to find survivors. He added that a young child was believed to be among the victims.
I’m deeply saddened to share that the death toll has risen to 12, with several individuals still unaccounted for.
No one should face tragedy alone. Please take a moment to hug your loved ones and check on your neighbors. We will continue providing resources and support to…
— Mayor Craig Greenberg (@LouisvilleMayor) November 6, 2025
