A tragic air accident occurred in Louisville, Kentucky, when a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after taking off from Muhammad Ali International Airport. The aircraft, bound for Honolulu, burst into flames and crashed near a residential area, sending shockwaves throughout the city.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, designated as UPS Flight 2976, took off at around 5:15 p.m. local time and crashed minutes later near an industrial zone close to the airport. The resulting fire was so massive that it could be seen from miles away.
No official statement has yet been released regarding casualties, but both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched a joint investigation. The NTSB will lead the inquiry to determine the cause of the accident.
UPS officials confirmed that the aircraft was fully fueled for an 8.5-hour flight to Honolulu and was carrying a crew of three. This heavy fuel load likely contributed to the scale of the explosion that followed the impact.
Footage shared by CBS affiliate WLKY shows flames erupting from one of the aircraft’s wings during takeoff, followed by a catastrophic crash that produced a massive fireball. Several nearby industrial buildings caught fire, and thick plumes of black smoke darkened the evening sky.
Aviation safety expert and former pilot John Cox described the incident as “far beyond a normal engine fire,” explaining: “An MD-11 is capable of continuing flight even with one engine out. Investigators need to understand why this aircraft became uncontrollable so quickly. The fire’s intensity is alarming.”
Following the crash, the airport was temporarily closed to all air traffic. Although firefighters managed to contain the blaze, the aftermath left Louisville enveloped in dense, lingering smoke.