UPS cargo plane crashes in US city of Louisville, killing at least seven VIDEO

At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured after a UPS wide-body cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, erupting into a massive fireball shortly after takeoff, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on November 5.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said UPS Flight 2976, an MD-11 freighter, went down around 5:15 p.m. local time after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport en route to Honolulu, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

"The news out of Louisville is tough tonight as the death toll has now reached at least 7, with that number expected to rise. First responders are onsite and working hard to extinguish the fire and continue the investigation," Beshear said on X.

 The aircraft crashed into an industrial area beyond the runway, igniting several buildings and sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.

Local television footage showed one of the plane’s wings ablaze before it struck the ground, triggering an explosion. Louisville officials issued a shelter-in-place order for residents within five miles of the airport as emergency services battled the fire.

UPS confirmed that three crew members were on board and said all were feared dead. “Our priority right now is the safety and well-being of those affected,” the company said in a statement.

FAA records show the crashed aircraft was 34 years old. Boeing, which acquired the MD-11 line through its merger with McDonnell Douglas, said it would provide technical support to the investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it would lead the investigation and has dispatched a team to the site. The probe could take up to two years to determine the probable cause of the accident.

Louisville’s airport, home to UPS Worldport — the company’s global air cargo hub and its largest package-handling facility — was temporarily closed following the crash. The incident is expected to disrupt deliveries for major UPS clients, including Amazon, Walmart and the U.S. Postal Service.

By Aghakazim Guliyev