WATCH LIVE: At least 3 killed, 11 injured after a UPS cago plane crashes near the Louisville Airport
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (CNN) -- A UPS cargo jet carrying three crew members crashed shortly after takeoff Tuesday evening near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, sending up a large column of black smoke visible from the runways, officials said.
The MD-11 aircraft went down just after 5 p.m. local time near the airport’s perimeter, according to the Louisville Fire Department and local media footage. Videos from CNN affiliate WAVE showed flames and heavy smoke rising from the crash site.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday night there are at least three fatalities reported and he believes “that number is going to get larger.” At least 11 injuries were confirmed, some of them “very significant.”
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said shortly before the governor’s news conference there were “multiple injuries and the fire is still burning,” adding the city has “every emergency agency responding to the scene.”
UPS Flight 2976 crashed just after 5 p.m. local time and was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, according to a statement from the FAA, which is investigating the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the flight, identified as UPS Flight 2976, had departed from Louisville when it crashed shortly afterward. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, according to the FAA.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is the worldwide air hub for UPS. The company’s Worldport is more than 5 million square feet where more than 12,000 UPS employees process more than two million packages a day, according to the company.
A shelter-in-place has been issued for all locations within 5 miles of the airport, police added.
“LMPD and multiple other agencies are responding to reports of a plan crash near Fern Valley and Grade Lane,” the post said. “Grade lane will be closed indefinitely between Stooges and Crittenden.”
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F is a freight transport aircraft manufactured originally by McDonnell Douglas and later by Boeing. The aircraft is primarily flown by FedEx Express, Lufthansa Cargo and UPS Airlines for cargo.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 served as a popular wide-bodied passenger airplane after it was first flown in 1990.
As fuel costs increased for the three engine jets many of them were converted to freighters. The plane can take off weighing in at a maximum 633,000 pounds and carrying more than 38,000 gallons of fuel, according to Boeing, which bought McDonnell Douglas.
All flights into and out of the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport have been temporarily suspended, the airport announced on X, as emergency crews respond to the crashed UPS plane.
“At this time, all arriving and departing flights at SDF are temporarily suspended and the airfield is closed,” the post says. “Passengers should closely monitor their flight status via their airline’s website or mobile app.”
The FAA has also posted temporary restricted airspace around the airport, stating only relief operations are permitted within a 5-mile radius until 7 a.m. ET Wednesday.
The MD-11 crashed in an industrial area off the airport’s property.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
