UPS cargo plane crashed in Kentucky, killing at least seven

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, operated by UPS and en route to Hawaii, crashed at around 5:15 p.m. local time (2215 GMT), according to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the FAA and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Governor warns toll may rise as rescue efforts continue

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed the fatalities during a late-night briefing and warned that the death toll could rise as recovery operations continue. “First responders are onsite and working hard to extinguish the fire and continue the investigation,” Beshear said in a post on X.

UPS said three crew members were on board the aircraft but did not confirm casualties, while Governor Beshear said their status was “unknown but very concerning.”

Eyewitness footage

A video broadcast by local station WLKY showed the aircraft’s left engine on fire moments before it failed to gain altitude. The plane crashed approximately three miles south of the airfield, according to Jonathan Bevin, a spokesman for airport police.

Officials shut all evening departures from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, and UPS paused operations at its main U.S. air hub, which manages over 2,000 flights daily to more than 200 destinations.

Aerial footage showed a trail of wreckage and firefighters fighting intense flames at a petroleum recycling facility, which Governor Beshear said was hit “pretty directly” by the plane.

Crash adds strain amid ongoing U.S. government shutdown

The disaster occurs amid one of the longest government shutdowns in U.S. history, which has severely affected aviation operations. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy earlier warned of “mass chaos” due to staff shortages at air traffic control centres.

“You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it,” Duffy said earlier Tuesday. After the crash, he called the footage “heartbreaking,” urging the public to pray for the Louisville community and flight crew.

Recent air safety concerns

The crash occurred after a tragic incident in January, when an American Eagle airliner collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Washington’s Reagan National Airport, resulting in 67 fatalities. That incident ended the U.S.’s 16-year run without a fatal commercial air crash and has since increased scrutiny of America’s ageing air traffic infrastructure and staffing shortages.