UPS Plane Crash in Louisville

A UPS cargo plane tragically caught fire and crashed into a business in Louisville on Tuesday, prompting people to flee for safety. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 lost its left engine while taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. There was also a dashcam onboard that recorded the incident.

The plane, which was carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel, crashed into a building south of the airport, scattering debris over more than half a mile. Eyewitness Sean Garber, who owns a local auto parts and recycling business, described the scene: “There was a huge fireball and multiple large explosions all around, obviously people running and screaming.” His business suffered significant damage, losing four out of its 18 buildings in the explosion.

About 20 individuals were inside the building at the time of the crash. According to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, 12 fatalities have been confirmed, with nine others still missing as of Thursday.

“I hear people say, ‘Oh, you only see that in the movies.’ This was worse than the movies,” Greenberg remarked during a press conference, noting that the death toll might increase as recovery teams sift through the wreckage.

There were three crew members aboard the doomed flight to Honolulu, all of whom have been confirmed dead. Reports also indicate that a young child was killed in the incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has retrieved the aircraft’s black box and sent it to Washington for examination. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reassured the public that the government shutdown wouldn’t hinder the investigation, emphasizing, “This was not an air traffic controller issue. I want to make that clear. This one looked more mechanical.” He added that the flight and data recorders are under analysis to determine what happened.