A UPS cargo aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, killing at least seven people and injuring 11.
UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, had departed just after 5:00 p.m. local time en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash and announced that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at least seven people have died and 11 were injured, warning those numbers could climb as the investigation continues.
Some of the wounded had “very significant” injuries and are being treated at local hospitals, Beshear stated.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said that three of those killed were crew members, and the other four were people on the ground.
Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) and multiple emergency agencies responded to the scene. In a post on X, LMPD confirmed injuries and reported a shelter-in-place order for all locations within a five-mile radius of the airport.
A massive plume of black smoke was seen rising near the tarmac, according to footage from CNN affiliate WAVE.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport serves as UPS’s global air hub. The company’s Worldport facility spans over five million square feet and employs more than 12,000 workers, processing over two million packages daily.