UPS cargo flight bursts into flames near airport, dead reported
US firefighters (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
In the US, a UPS cargo plane crashed during takeoff from Louisville International Airport in Kentucky. The explosion caused a large fire, with fatalities and injuries reported, according to the Associated Press.
At least three people were killed and 11 were injured when the large UPS cargo plane exploded during takeoff from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the plane crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time while departing Louisville for Honolulu.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.…
— The FAA (@FAANews) November 4, 2025
According to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, the death toll could rise as rescue teams have not yet completed their search operations.
He said that they knew there were casualties, that they could not confirm the exact number of fatalities yet, and that they were asking everyone to pray for those affected by the tragedy.
Footage shared by eyewitnesses shows flames on the left wing as the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane, bound for Honolulu, began its takeoff from the airport’s main runway.
The FAA reported that shortly after leaving the ground, a fire broke out in the plane’s left wing, and within seconds, the aircraft exploded into a massive fireball. The video also shows debris from the shredded roof of a building near the end of the runway.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg told local station WLKY-TV that the fuel on board the plane posed a serious danger.
Dozens of firefighters and police units are currently responding to the scene, operating from cover due to the risk of further fires.
Authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order for all areas north of the airport up to the Ohio River. Louisville International Airport is located just 10 minutes from downtown, near residential neighborhoods, museums, and a water park.
The crashed plane, a 1991 McDonnell Douglas MD-11, belonged to UPS, which operates its largest logistics hub in Louisville. Thousands of employees work there, handling over 300 daily flights, with a sorting capacity of more than 400,000 packages per hour.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have sent teams to the scene.
In October, four members of the Illinois gubernatorial candidate’s family died in a helicopter crash in Montana.
This tragedy was a severe blow to the family and to Darren Bailey’s election campaign. Bailey is known for his criticism of Governor Pritzker’s policies on the pandemic and crime in Chicago.
