Death Toll Rises to 12 in UPS Cargo Jet Crash in Kentucky
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg Says Several More People Still Missing
Key Takeaways:
- A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from Louisville, Ky., killing at least 12 people as investigators began probing the cause.
- Officials said the death toll may rise as crews search a large debris field, while the FAA reopened the airport with some taxiways still closed.
- The NTSB launched a full investigation with support from Boeing and UPS, which suspended operations at its Louisville hub pending further findings.
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The left engine came off a doomed UPS Inc. freighter moments before it crashed in a fireball near the company’s global hub in Kentucky, killing at least 12 people.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg saidin a poston X that the death toll had reached a dozen and said several people were still unaccounted for.
Earlier, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the accident site was “moving from a rescue to a recovery mode. We do not expect to find anyone else alive in the area,” he told reporters.
RELATED: Search Continues for Victims of UPS Cargo Jet Crash
The fuel-laden, Honolulu-bound McDonnell Douglas MD-11 climbed high enough to clear a fence at the end of the runway at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, but then the aircraft plunged into terrain and buildings outside of the facility’s perimeter, National Transportation Safety Board officialTodd Inmansaid at a separate briefing Nov. 5.
Inman said the engine seen in photographs laying on the airfield is likely the left-side engine, which would correlate with a separate video the NTSB has watched showing the power plant detaching from the plane. The resulting crash left behind a sprawling field of debris, fires and smoke.
The NTSB has located cockpit voice and flight data recorders from the aircraft, Inman added. The bright-orange devices, commonly referred to as a jet’s black box, provide crucial information as to the final moments of the flight and pilot operations.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky has reopened but multiple taxiways remain closed after UPS Flight 2976 crashed after taking off around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International… — The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews)
The crash comes at a time of widespreadair travel disruptionsacross America caused by air traffic controller shortages since the U.S. government shutdown began Oct. 1. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Nov. 5 that U.S. air capacity will be cut by 10% at 40 high-volume locations starting Nov. 7 to alleviate strain on the aviation system.
The incident adds to a deadly year for global aviation. Just three weeks ago, a cargo plane skidded off the runway andinto the seaat Hong Kong International Airport, killing two ground crew. In June, 241 people died on an Air India flight thatcrashedjust after takeoff, and in January a U.S. Army helicoptercollidedwith an American Airlines Group regional jet on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington.
UPS noted the incident in a securities filing released Nov. 4, saying it does not believe the event will materially impact the company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flow.
RELATED: Shipping Delays Expected After UPS Cargo Jet Crash
On Nov. 5, UPS canceled second-day air service package-sorting operations at the facility — its largest hub known as Worldport — after halting the work right after the crash.
“Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved,” the parcel-delivery companyin a statement, adding that it was assisting in the investigation. In areleased late Nov. 5, CEO Carol Tomé said the company is committed to safety. UPS hasn’t confirmed whether its staff are among the fatalities.
Boeing Co., which took over McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said it is offering technical assistance to the NTSB. The company said it will “work tirelessly” with state and local authorities on response efforts.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24showedthe 34-year-old aircraft, designated as UPS Flight 2976, reaching takeoff speeds and climbing to around 175 feet (53 meters) before plummeting to the ground.
The jet flew from Louisville to San Antonio on Sept. 3, and didn’t return until Oct. 18, the data showed. The MD-11 had flown on a near-daily basis since then.
We will release more facts as they become available at — UPS (@UPS)
The aircraft involved in the accident was originally built for Thai Airways International in the early 1990s before being converted into a freighter about 20 years ago for UPS. The plane was powered by three General Electric Co. CF6 engines.
Other accidents involving UPS operations include UPS Flight 6 in September 2010, when a Boeing 747-400F crashed near Dubai after it experienced an in-flight cargo fire, killing both crew members.
In August 2013, an Airbus SE A300-600F crashed short of the runway in Birmingham, Ala., killing the captain and first officer.Authorities citedfatigue, pilot error and subsequent aircraft instability as probable causes for that crash.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.… — The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews)
Information gathered so far from the Kentucky crash site suggests at least two businesses were hit, including a petroleum recycling company and an auto parts shop. Those businesses had accounted for all but two of their employees, Beshear said Nov. 4.
However, “they do not know how many other individuals, customers or others could have been on-site at the time,” he said, adding that it may take a while for officials to determine that information.
UPS ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 5 on the TT Top 100 logistics companies list. It also ranks No. 4 on the TT Top 50 global freight companies list.
Written by Allyson Versprille, Cailley LaPara and Siddharth Philip
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