A United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from Louisville International Airport in Kentucky on the evening of the 4th local time, resulting in at least 12 fatalities. The victims include three crew members and nine individuals whose identities have not yet been confirmed, with several others still missing. Officials do not rule out the possibility of more deaths. Governor Beshear confirmed at a press conference that one of the deceased is believed to be a child, and he announced a state of emergency to assist in rescue efforts.
On Wednesday, Beshear declared a statewide state of emergency to expedite the mobilization of resources for rescue and aftermath work. He also ordered all state government buildings to fly flags at half-staff until Sunday evening to mourn the victims.
Beshear described the incident as "deeply tragic," but expressed relief that the fire did not spread to a nearby convention center, restaurants, or the Ford auto assembly plant. "We lost more than nine lives, but things could have been much worse."
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation, stating that the black box from the crashed plane has been recovered and will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Preliminary CCTV footage shows that the 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter's left engine appeared to detach at the moment of takeoff, after which the plane caught fire and crashed. Authorities have not released the relevant footage.
●Partial Airport Reopening Wednesday Morning
UPS stated that after the accident, package sorting operations at the airport were immediately suspended and the following day's sorting shift was canceled. Louisville International Airport partially reopened on Wednesday morning, with one runway resuming limited operations, but due to significant flight delays, it is expected to take several days to fully clear the backlog. The runway involved in the accident is expected to be closed for at least 10 days.
According to foreign media reports, the crash site is located in an industrial area near the airport and affected two companies, including an oil recycling plant. About 200 firefighters and rescue personnel, along with 50 fire trucks, were dispatched by the local fire department. Thick smoke billowed into the sky, shrouding the entire city in black smoke. Officials reported that 11 injured individuals were taken to the hospital, two of whom are in critical condition, and at least 10 people remain missing.
Aviation expert Brickhouse noted that the crashed plane’s three engines were manufactured by GE Aviation. The investigation will focus on whether the left "No. 1 engine" caught fire and detached during the flight. He stated: "In theory, a plane can continue flying after losing one engine, but it is necessary to determine whether this damage affected other systems."
This UPS cargo plane was scheduled to fly to Honolulu, Hawaii, with a flight time of approximately 8.5 hours. This is UPS's first fatal air crash since 2013, when an Airbus A300 freighter crashed while landing in Birmingham, Alabama, killing both pilots.