A UPS plane crashed near the company’s global air hub at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday evening, causing an ongoing fire disaster and at least seven fatalities and 11 injuries.
The incident disrupted airport operations as authorities rushed to assist injured people and contend with debris and fire about the size of a city block, according to local first responders.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time after taking off from Louisville for Honolulu, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Three crew members were on board, UPS confirmed.
When asked about the status of the crew, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said four of the fatalities were not on the plane and added “we believe it will be seven...we’re waiting to get final word that next of kin had been notified.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear noted earlier in the evening he expected the fatality and injury numbers to grow.
Aerial video from CBS News appeared to show a string of buildings and parking lots near the airport engulfed in flame. Beshear said two local businesses directly impacted were Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts.
Credit: Jonathan Palmer
Credit: Jonathan Palmer
The incident disrupted Louisville passenger traffic and operations at “Worldport,” UPS’ largest global package handling facility with 20,000 employees and 300 daily flights.
In a statement the company said it halted overnight operations and canceled its “Next Day Air” parcel sort.
The company has said its Louisville hub can reach 95% of the American population in four hours. The operation sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.
Worldport is also home to the company’s cargo airline, which has about 3,300 pilots and operates more than 500 aircraft.
A spokesman for the Independent Pilots Association that represents UPS pilots deferred comment about the incident to the NTSB and local authorities.
The plane involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, a wide-body cargo jet. While it wasn’t carrying hazardous cargo, it had more than 250,000 pounds of jet fuel on board, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said.
Local emergency management advised all homes and businesses in the shelter-in-place zone to “turn off any air in-take systems as soon as possible.”
“We are terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville,” UPS’ statement reads.
“Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved. UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Although both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the NTSB will “lead the investigation and will provide all updates.” The agency announced it would be on the scene soon and would update media on Wednesday.
As the government shutdown enters Day 36, federal employees including at the FAA and NTSB responding to the incident are working without pay.
A local victim reunification site was set up by first responders. Louisville’s mayor announced Tuesday evening the city lit a prominent pedestrian bridge near its downtown in yellow to honor the flight.
“This is a UPS town,” Louisville City Councilwoman Betsy Ruhe said Tuesday.
“We all know somebody who works at UPS. And they’re all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure they’re safe.”
— Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.
Credit: Special
Credit: Special
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
