Shortly after a UPS cargo plane crashed in a Kentucky industrial park, emergency channels were inundated with 911 calls reporting a “huge explosion” and “large amounts of black smoke.” The incident occurred just meters away from unsuspecting patrons enjoying happy hour.
Airport officials quickly alerted other UPS pilots to halt takeoff procedures, stating that “the airfield is closed,” according to radio communications.
One voice on the Louisville Fire Department’s dispatch reported, “Attention, a large explosion has occurred on Fern Valley Road near the airport. A large amount of black smoke has been produced.”
Fire engines reached the site within two minutes, and responders soon realized they were receiving an overwhelming number of 911 reports about the crash. Within three minutes, it became clear that the situation warranted additional assistance from neighboring jurisdictions.
“Be careful. UPS employees believe this is one of their planes that crashed,” warned a voice over the radio.
At 5:20 p.m., mere minutes after the explosion engulfed buildings near the airfield, police and fire officials filled the airwaves discussing the disaster.
The volume of calls for aid was urgent, prompting dispatchers to deliberate whether to address the “multiple smoke calls in the area” one by one or all at once.
One fire chief simply asked, “Just give me the total, over the radio.”
First responders from the MetroSafe Suburban Fire Department observed buildings, including one marked “Kentucky Oil,” in flames. Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, located near the UPS Worldport facility, were confirmed to have been impacted by the crash. In light of hazardous chemicals near the fire, large areas were evacuated, and residents across the Ohio River in southern Indiana were instructed to shelter in place.
About 200 first responders converged on the scene, which ultimately claimed 14 lives.
Among the deceased were three pilots of the Honolulu-bound MD-11, which reportedly lost an engine shortly after takeoff.
The crash unfolded near the Stooges Bar & Grill, a popular spot for workers from the UPS facility and the local Ford assembly plant. “This plane barely missed the restaurant/bar,” stated Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
The plane reportedly came within 100 meters of a busy bar, a very close call. Debbie Self, who wasn’t at the bar during the accident, noted, “I don’t know how you made it.” Bartender Kayla Kennady recounted that the plane seemed to fly directly overhead as people played volleyball in the parking lot.
“I turned around and ran down the bar, yelling to everyone that the plane was crashing,” Kennady described. The scene quickly turned chaotic as she and others rushed to exit, feeling the ground shake and hot air rush past.
Regular patron Bryson Beck remarked that the smoke was so dense, “I thought maybe some other country was bombing us.”
The Stooges was one of the few establishments in the area to survive, but it’s now closed indefinitely. The parking lot that typically hosted volleyball matches is temporarily serving as a morgue.
While 14 individuals lost their lives in the tragedy, only three UPS crew members have been identified. Nine local residents are still unaccounted for, and some bodies remain unidentifiable due to severe burns.
