Authorities Release Tragic New Details After Fiery Plane Crash In Louisville

A UPS cargo jet erupted into a fiery disaster at Louisville’s airport Tuesday evening, killing at least nine people and injuring 15 more — with more still unaccounted for — in a crash that set off explosions, towering smoke, and an inferno that scorched nearby buildings.

The MD-11 aircraft — a 34-year-old jet loaded with roughly 38,000 gallons of fuel for a long haul to Honolulu — went down around 5:15 p.m. while taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The scene looked like the set of a doomsday flick as flames tore through a nearby recycling center and emergency crews sprinted into action.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that three of the dead were the plane’s crew members.

By Wednesday morning, the human toll was staggering: at least nine dead, 15 hurt, and 16 still missing. Thirteen patients have already been released from UofL Health, while two remain in critical condition.

More than 100 first responders battled the blaze for over six hours before finally knocking it down late Tuesday night.

The airport briefly shut its airfield after the crash, though most runways reopened on Wednesday. UPS’ massive Worldport hub halted operations Tuesday and even scrapped its flagship Next Day Air service. Some cargo flights resumed on Wednesday as investigators started probing what went wrong.

Gov. Andy Beshear urged residents near the crash site to avoid drinking tap water until inspectors give the all-clear, noting that emergency crews were dealing with hazardous materials from nearby businesses — not from the jet itself.

Beshear also said utility crews had cut power to some 290 customers and isolated gas lines serving more than 90 others while emergency teams secured the area.

“If you are in the suburbs or in other parts of Louisville, you are as safe today as you’ve been any other day. The air is fine. Your water is fine,” Beshear said, trying to calm nerves in a city still stunned by the catastrophe.

He declared a State of Emergency, saying, “This allows us to move resources more quickly through emergency management and through the Kentucky National Guard. It allows state resources to be used also through our agencies to be readily available, including disaster resource management, expenses related to response and more, as well as reimbursement.”

“In short,” he added, the declaration ensures agencies “limited in funding will be able to receive immediate or short-term help.”

UPS said the National Transportation Safety Board has taken charge of the investigation and will release findings as they come in.

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