At least 11 people are dead and others remain seriously injured or are missing after a UPS plane crashed near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday evening.
The plane that went down was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, CBS Louisville affiliate WLKY <a href="https://www.wlky.com/article/plane-crash-explosion-louisville-airport/69255042">reported</a>. Companies like UPS and FedEx primarily fly those aircraft to transport cargo. UPS issued a <a href="https://about.ups.com/us/en/newsroom/statements/ups-statement-on-aircraft-accident.html">statement</a> confirming that the crash occurred at approximately 5:20 p.m., adding that three crew members were onboard. They are believed to be dead.
Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/ups-plane-crash-louisville-airport?post-id=cmhl8u9nx00003b6n3dcwwb8e">said</a> on Wednesday that the death toll is “expected to reach 12” by the end of the day.
Multiple businesses were hit by the plane when it crashed to the ground, including a recycling plant and an auto parts shop, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/ups-plane-crash-louisville-airport">reported</a>. The crash resulted in a &#8220;secondary explosion&#8221; at the recycling plant, which contained tanks of propane and oil.
Videos posted on social media showed a massive explosion after the crash, with plumes of smoke rising into the air. Officials issued a shelter-in-place order for people within a five-mile radius of the airport after the crash. That shelter-in-place order remains in effect for those within a one-mile radius of the airport, forcing some schools in the area to cancel classes on Wednesday.
Since the plane was on a long trip to Hawaii, it was fully fueled. The fire following the crash quickly spread to nearby buildings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CCTV captures UPS flight UPS2976 crashing shortly after departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. <a href="https://t.co/9WyrcpSkdd">pic.twitter.com/9WyrcpSkdd</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1985848791585477006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JUST IN: Crews are responding to a plane crash near the Louisville airport, and police say there are injuries.<a href="https://t.co/NIg5UOSVoo">https://t.co/NIg5UOSVoo</a> <a href="https://t.co/i2BLFYKEFx">pic.twitter.com/i2BLFYKEFx</a>
— WLKY (@WLKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/WLKY/status/1985838038866411644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference on Wednesday that the crash appears to have been caused by mechanical failure and had nothing to do with the air traffic controller shortages from the government shutdown.
The UPS plane was departing for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Other videos circulating on social media appear to show the left wing of the MD-11 catching fire as it cruises down the runway before takeoff. One of the plane&#8217;s engines was found on the ground mostly intact, which will likely help investigators determine what led to the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Wednesday said that it &#8220;viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Video circulating now online shows the moments the UPS MD-11 crashed near the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Louisville?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Louisville</a> airport.
It looks like there may have been an engine fire but the plane was likely past the point of no return and could not abort the take off in time.<a href="https://twitter.com/KHOU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KHOU</a> <a href="https://t.co/7yz1Wf3X7E">pic.twitter.com/7yz1Wf3X7E</a>
— Pat Cavlin (@pcavlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/pcavlin/status/1985845250842132668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Heartbreaking images coming out of Kentucky tonight,&#8221; said Duffy in a post on Tuesday. &#8220;Please join me in prayer for the Louisville community and flight crew impacted by this horrific crash. The @NTSB and @FAANews are mobilizing to get on the ground and will lead the investigation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Heartbreaking images coming out of Kentucky tonight.
Here’s an update from <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAANews</a> 
&#8211; UPS cargo flight 2976 
&#8211; Crashed around 5:15 ET after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport en route to Honolulu 
&#8211; The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
Please… <a href="https://t.co/yE1Brhv8cQ">pic.twitter.com/yE1Brhv8cQ</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1985855125080965375?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport serves as UPS&#8217;s worldwide air hub, with around <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/07/16/inside-worldport-ups-overnight-shipping-hub-air-freight-logistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">300 UPS flights</a> taking off and landing there every day.
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates. 

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At Least 11 People Killed, Death Toll Expected To Rise After UPS Plane Crashes In Massive Fireball

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At Least 11 People Killed, Death Toll Expected To Rise After UPS Plane Crashes In Massive Fireball