A UPS cargo plane crashed Tuesday near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky, killing at least three people and injuring at least 11 others. UPS Flight 2976 crashed with three crewmembers on board at about 5:14 p.m. ET onto the roof of the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling building after departing from SDF, according to Gov. Andy Beshear during a news conference Tuesday evening. At least two employees at nearby business Grade A Auto Parts are unaccounted for, Beshear said, calling the incident “catastrophic.”
The cause of the crash has not yet been released. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, FAA officials stated. The aircraft was loaded with more than 200,000 pounds of fuel at the time of the incident, leading to a massive fireball explosion, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. Emergency agencies responded to the crash near the UPS Worldport, with police reporting multiple injuries. UPS later stated it has not confirmed any injuries or fatalities.
“This is an active scene with fire and debris,” police wrote in an X post. “Stay away.” No hazardous cargo was on board, Beshear said, though an emergency shelter-in-place alert was issued for the Outer Loop northbound to the Ohio River. A victim reunification site was established, with chaplains present. SDF suspended all arriving and departing flights, closing the airfield. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, with the NTSB leading the effort.