Liputan6.com, Jakarta A tragic incident reportedly occurred involving a United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 4, 2025.
This incident, which reportedly occurred shortly after takeoff, has caused deep sorrow and significant damage to the area surrounding the airport.
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The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft operating UPS Airlines Flight 2976 crashed at approximately 5:13 PM EST (UTC−5) in the Knopp neighborhood, south of the airport.
The incident resulted in at least seven deaths and eleven injuries, triggering a massive emergency response in the area.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated a comprehensive investigation to determine the exact cause of this tragic accident.
How The Tragic Accident Happened
UPS cargo plane flight 2976 reportedly crashed on November 4, 2025, at approximately 5:15 p.m. local time.
The incident happened shortly after takeoff from runway 17R at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
The crash site was approximately half a mile south of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, in the Knopp neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, United States.
This area includes at least two businesses: a petroleum recycling business and an auto junkyard.
The impact of the crash was severe, with several buildings burning and even being destroyed by a large explosion.
Hundreds of firefighters have nearly contained the fire caused by the UPS plane crash in Louisville and will search the area "box by box" for potential victims, Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said at a news conference.
“When you have such a large scale incident and fire that spread over such a massive area, we have to use hundreds of personnel to surround it, contain it, and then slowly bring it in,” O’Neill said.
Aircraft Identification and Casualties
The aircraft involved in the UPS plane crash was a 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane.
The plane was scheduled to fly to Honolulu, Hawaii, from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
The tragedy claimed the lives of at least seven people.
Governor Andy Beshear confirmed that the fatalities included three crew members and at least four others on the ground.
In addition to the fatalities, eleven people were also reported injured, some of whom suffered significant injuries and were treated at local hospitals.
The scheduled cargo flight was carrying three crew members at the time of the incident.
The full identities of the victims are still being verified and will be released after notification to their families.
Impact and Initial Investigation
The UPS plane crash caused a large explosion and widespread fire in the area surrounding the crash site.
Several buildings were reportedly burned and destroyed, creating a horrific scene in Louisville.
The city of Louisville immediately issued a shelter-in-place order for the entire area within a five-mile (approximately 8 kilometers) radius of the crash site.
This measure was taken to prevent potential exposure to smoke and further explosions, given that the aircraft was carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel.
The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive Wednesday at the crash site that’s left several dead and hold briefings with officials.
“NTSB is bringing in a full crew, 28 folks to start with,” Dan Mann, Executive Director at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport said Tuesday.
“They’ll hit the ground running first thing tomorrow morning, and they’ll be working with all the mutual aid, all the first responders, collecting all the evidence.”
Governor Beshear also stated that there was no hazardous cargo on board that would pose an environmental problem near the crash site, although the aircraft's fuel is a major concern.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is expected to reopen Wednesday, mayor Craig Greenberg said during a news conference Tuesday following the mass casualty incident.
“The airport is closed for this evening, will be open tomorrow morning,” Greenberg said, noting that there will be another news conference Wednesday with the NTSB once the agency is on the ground.