A UPS cargo plane crashed during takeoff from Louisville Airport on Tuesday evening, resulting in at least 12 confirmed fatalities. Authorities reported that many victims remain unaccounted for as emergency crews transition to the recovery phase of the response.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recovered the aircraft’s black boxes, which contain flight data and cockpit voice recordings, from the crash site. Investigators have urged the public to submit any debris found within a half-mile radius to assist in determining the cause of the incident.
Emergency crews confirmed that the plane’s left wing caught fire, leading to the detachment of the left engine. The exact reason for the fire remains under investigation. The NTSB emphasized it would not speculate on the crash’s cause while conducting on-site analysis, which typically takes 7–10 days but could extend to a year or more for final reports.
Passenger flights at Louisville International Airport have resumed but face significant delays. UPS operations also began restarting around 24 hours after the crash. Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation announced plans to reduce air traffic by 10% at 40 major airports starting Friday if no government shutdown deal is reached, citing safety concerns over staffing shortages.