Horror in the air: UPS cargo plane crashes in Louisville minutes after takeoff, 7 dead

According to reports, UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 bound for Honolulu, crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time, striking a petroleum recycling plant and triggering a massive fire.

Authorities said the aircraft was carrying three crew members and about 50,000 gallons of jet fuel. The blaze spread rapidly through the industrial area, and firefighters continued to battle the flames late into the night.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said in a post on X that the death toll had reached seven and was “expected to rise.”

“The news out of Louisville is tough tonight,” Beshear wrote. “First responders are onsite and working hard to extinguish the fire and continue the investigation.”

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg told reporters that four people on the ground were among the dead, while three crew members aboard the plane were presumed killed.

Operations at the airport were temporarily suspended, and both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations.

In a statement, the FAA said: “UPS Flight 2976 crashed after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide all updates.”

The United States has recorded several aviation accidents this year. In January, a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided midair over Washington, D.C., killing 67 people.Earlier in January,  a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided midair in Washington DC, leaving 67 peopel dead.