A UPS cargo plane crashed Tuesday near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky, killing at least three people and injuring at least 11 others.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed with three crewmembers on board at about 5:14 p.m. ET onto the roof of the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling building after departing from SDF, Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Tuesday evening.
At least two employees at nearby business Grade A Auto Parts are unaccounted for, said Beshear, who called the incident “catastrophic.”
The cause of the crash has not yet been released.
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The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said.
The aircraft was loaded with more than 200,000 pounds of fuel at the time of the incident, leading to a massive fireball explosion, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.
The Louisville Metro Police Department and Greenberg confirmed every emergency agency was responding to the crash, which happened near the UPS Worldport.
Police said multiple people were injured, though UPS wrote in a statement it has not confirmed any injuries or fatalities.
“This is an active scene with fire and debris,” police wrote in an X post. “Stay away.”
There was no hazardous cargo on board at the time of the crash that would cause an environmental issue, Beshear said.
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The agency later issued an emergency shelter-in-place alert for the Outer Loop northbound to the Ohio River. Those in the shelter-in-place area were asked to turn off any air intake systems “as soon as possible.”
A victim reunification site was opened and chaplains will be present, according to LMPD.
SDF noted all arriving and departing flights are temporarily suspended, and the airfield is closed.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate, with the NTSB taking the lead.
“We’ve always banded together. We will again. Let’s make sure, before anything else, we put the families of those that we’re worried about first,” Beshear said during the news conference. “They deserve it. Make sure we pray for them and we support them with everything we have. Thank you, Kentucky.”
Greenberg added in a social media post, “This is an incredible tragedy that our community will never forget. We are so thankful for our brave first responders who have flooded the scene to help try and control the fire and provide support for any victims on the ground.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson sent described the crash as “horrific” on X.
“The UPS plane crash in Louisville is horrific, and we pray for the aircrew, their families, bystanders on the ground, and all involved in this tragic situation,” Johnson wrote in a post. “We are grateful to the first responders who are on scene ensuring the safety of everyone in the area.”
Anna McMullen, who lives seven minutes from the airport, told FOX Business her husband called her and thought “something was burning” downtown.
“All you could see in the sky around the airport was black smoke in billows,” McMullen said. “I heard explosions, and they are still going off, which means the plane could have hit the petroleum supply tanks.”
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She added that the normal pattern for the UPS planes is to be loaded before they take off.
“We have lived here 25 years and have never seen a UPS plane crash,” McMullen said. “The sun has set, but the smoke is still horrible. We can still hear the explosions.”
Ford, which has an assembly plant nearby, confirmed to FOX Business that its facility was not affected, and that all personnel are safe.
UPS spokesperson Karen Tomaszewski Hill told FOX Business the company will release “more facts as they become available, but the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information about the official investigation.”
The Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville Fire Department did not immediately respond to additional inquiries from FOX Business.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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