Deadly UPS Plane Crash Sparks Outpouring of Support as Death Toll Rises
A devastating plane crash at a UPS cargo facility in Kentucky has claimed the lives of at least nine people, with 11 others injured. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, which was carrying a large quantity of fuel, crashed and exploded shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "violent" and said it resembled a war zone. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene to put out fires and search for survivors, but the extent of the damage was only beginning to come into view on Wednesday morning.
"It's like a bomb went off," said Tom Brooks Jr., who runs a metal recycling business near the crash site. "I mean, it literally looked like a war zone."
The plane was traveling from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport to Honolulu when it encountered catastrophic failure shortly after takeoff. The aircraft's left wing caught fire and its engine fell off, causing it to plummet towards the ground.
"It's like the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel," said Pablo Rojas, an aviation attorney. "Given the fuel the plane was carrying, it was only a matter of time before the blaze spread rapidly or an explosion happened."
Governor Andy Beshear expressed his condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and warned that the death toll is likely to rise.
"We all know somebody who works at UPS," said Louisville Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe. "And they're all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe. Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered."
As authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash, officials have confirmed that a team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has arrived on site to conduct a thorough investigation.
The airport, which also shut down for the night, resumed operations on Wednesday morning with at least one runway open. Flights that were canceled Tuesday were scheduled to depart and arrive first. Some flights previously scheduled to take off from the airport on Wednesday morning were canceled due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, emergency responders are working tirelessly to locate the missing loved ones of those who may have been in the area when the plane crashed. Local businesses and residents are also rallying together to support those affected by the tragedy.
"This was massive," said Destyn Mitchell, a host at an Outback restaurant near the crash site. "People who just sat down to eat got up and left in under 30 minutes and packed up their food because they wanted to hurry up and get home."
As the investigation into the UPS plane crash continues, one thing is clear: this has been a devastating day for the community of Louisville, Kentucky.
A devastating plane crash at a UPS cargo facility in Kentucky has claimed the lives of at least nine people, with 11 others injured. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, which was carrying a large quantity of fuel, crashed and exploded shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "violent" and said it resembled a war zone. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene to put out fires and search for survivors, but the extent of the damage was only beginning to come into view on Wednesday morning.
"It's like a bomb went off," said Tom Brooks Jr., who runs a metal recycling business near the crash site. "I mean, it literally looked like a war zone."
The plane was traveling from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport to Honolulu when it encountered catastrophic failure shortly after takeoff. The aircraft's left wing caught fire and its engine fell off, causing it to plummet towards the ground.
"It's like the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel," said Pablo Rojas, an aviation attorney. "Given the fuel the plane was carrying, it was only a matter of time before the blaze spread rapidly or an explosion happened."
Governor Andy Beshear expressed his condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and warned that the death toll is likely to rise.
"We all know somebody who works at UPS," said Louisville Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe. "And they're all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe. Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered."
As authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash, officials have confirmed that a team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has arrived on site to conduct a thorough investigation.
The airport, which also shut down for the night, resumed operations on Wednesday morning with at least one runway open. Flights that were canceled Tuesday were scheduled to depart and arrive first. Some flights previously scheduled to take off from the airport on Wednesday morning were canceled due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, emergency responders are working tirelessly to locate the missing loved ones of those who may have been in the area when the plane crashed. Local businesses and residents are also rallying together to support those affected by the tragedy.
"This was massive," said Destyn Mitchell, a host at an Outback restaurant near the crash site. "People who just sat down to eat got up and left in under 30 minutes and packed up their food because they wanted to hurry up and get home."
As the investigation into the UPS plane crash continues, one thing is clear: this has been a devastating day for the community of Louisville, Kentucky.
9 lives lost, 11 injured in deadly UPS plane crash 
5 injuries were from burns, 4 with head trauma, 2 with broken bones 
- source: local hospital records 2,500+ emergency responders involved in rescue efforts 
1,000+ people displaced due to airport shutdowns 
️
10+ flights canceled on Wednesday morning alone 
Plane was carrying over 12 million gallons of fuel 
- estimated cost of damage: $100M+ 
I feel bad for everyone who works at UPS or has family/friends there 
hopefully they can get back to normal soon and the community can heal together 
. the fact that the plane was carrying a huge amount of fuel makes sense - it would've been like a bomb just waiting to go off 
. and now the death toll is rising, which is just devastating. I hope the investigation team at NTSB can figure out what happened so we can prevent something like this in the future 
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. but what I do know is that the community will come together to support each other in the days and weeks ahead 
, the airport is back in business but my heart is still heavy for those who lost loved ones 
. It's crazy how fast things escalated, like that plane literally exploded mid-air 
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gotta be super tough on everyone who works at UPS or knows someone who does 
btw the ntsb guy said sumthin about the fuel bein the culprit, idk bout that tho 
. Can't believe nine people lost their lives in an instant 
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. Fingers crossed their findings bring some closure to these families...
and all those injured too 
I feel so bad for the families of the victims 
what if they're still waiting at the airport? 
And can you believe it was a UPS plane?! 
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. But it's all just so... senseless. A plane crashes and you're left wondering what could've been done differently 
. I'm just glad authorities are on the scene investigating ASAP