Fiery Kentucky plane crash leaves trail of destruction and rising death toll
OUT THE WINDOW. RIGHT NOW, AT 11, A DEADLY PLANE CRASH AND EXPLOSION NEAR THE LOUISVILLE AIRPORT HAS LEFT SEVEN PEOPLE DEAD AND NEARLY A DOZEN INJURED. THERE’S STILL A SHELTER IN PLACE A MILE AROUND THE AIRPORT. TONIGHT. OUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN SPREAD OUT AROUND THE LOUISVILLE AIRPORT ALL NIGHT LONG. THEY’VE HEARD FROM FAMILIES AS WELL AS CITY AND STATE LEADERS, AND THEY WORK OUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED. WE’LL CHECK IN WITH THEM IN JUST A MOMENT. VICKY IS ALSO LIVE AT THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY TONIGHT. AND VICKY, THIS HAS BEEN A HORRIFIC COUPLE OF HOURS IN LOUISVILLE. OH, IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN. RICK. TRAGIC, HEARTBREAKING NEWS TONIGHT. OUR COMMUNITY MOURNS THE LOSS OF AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE AND AT LEAST 11 OTHERS INJURED. ALL OF OUR HEARTS AT WLKY GO OUT TO THE VICTIMS, THEIR LOVED ONES AND FAMILIES. I AM STANDING OUTSIDE THE DEPARTURE AREA HERE AT THE AIRPORT. I RIGHT BEHIND ME IS RUNWAY 17, RIGHT? YOU CAN SEE IT OFF IN THE DISTANCE. THE FLAMES ARE STILL GLOWING OUT THERE. WE’RE WATCHING THE FIRST RESPONDERS. YOU SEE THEIR LIGHTS OUT THERE BEHIND ME. THIS IS WHERE FLIGHT 2976 WAS LEAVING LOUISVILLE. IT WAS DEPARTING FOR HONOLULU. IT’S A UPS FLIGHT. THERE WERE THREE CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD AS THE PLANE STARTED ROLLING DOWN THE RUNWAY. IT APPEARS BY THE VIDEO THAT THE LEFT ENGINE BURST INTO FLAME, WERE SET ON FIRE, AND THEN THE PLANE BURST INTO FLAME. WE WERE TOLD THREE CREW MEMBERS WERE ON BOARD. THE PLANE WAS FULL OF FUEL AND THAT WAS PART OF THE IMPACT. TWO BUSINESSES WERE DIRECTLY HIT. THEY ARE THE KENTUCKY PETROLEUM AND GRADE A AUTO PARTS. THE CRASH, OF COURSE, HAS LEFT MANY PEOPLE HERE WORRIED. THE MAYOR IS. EXCUSE ME, THE MAYOR HAS JUST WALKED UP. WE’RE GOING TO GET HIM ON HERE. MAYOR GREENBERG, IF YOU WOULD COME ON IN NOW, WE WILL TALK TO YOU. YOU UPDATED THE COMMUNITY A LITTLE EARLIER. WHAT IS THE LATEST UPDATE NOW? THE LATEST IS WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, VICKY. WITH THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS THAT WE HAVE, I’M GOING TO HEAD RIGHT FROM HERE TO GO TO THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION CENTER TO SPEAK WITH FAMILIES THAT HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR LOVED ONES RIGHT NOW, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THEM IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE, THAT WE CAN. ANY UPDATE YOU CAN GIVE US ABOUT THOSE FAMILIES ARE THE ARE THE IS IT PACKED? THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE REPORTING THERE. YEAH. I’M GOING TO HOLD OFF ON GIVING NUMBERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT UNTIL I GET THERE. OKAY. FIRST RESPONDERS STILL ON THE SCENE. YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHTS BEHIND US. THE THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE DEFINITELY STILL ON THE SCENE. THE FLAMES HAVE COME DOWN. THE FIRES ARE UNDER CONTROL RIGHT NOW. AND SO THEY’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO START ALL THE SEARCH OPERATIONS THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO INITIALLY, JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE FLAME. YOU LOOK AT THE DEBRIS FIELD, YOU SEE SOME OF YOU I’M SURE YOUR VIEWERS HAVE SEEN THOSE OVERHEAD SHOTS. WE’RE FORTUNATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE’S NOT EVEN MORE WE KNOW ABOUT. I’M CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE MORE VICTIMS THAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YET. I DON’T KNOW THAT’S THE CASE, BUT I’M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, SEEING HOW BIG IT IS. SO WE’LL WE’LL STAND BY AND WE’LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION THROUGH THE NIGHT OR FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT, A LONG COUPLE OF DAYS. IT IS. AND YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, I HOPE EVERYONE JUST CONTINUES TO KEEP THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS, THE VICTIMS THAT ARE RECOVERING AT U OF L HEALTH. EVERYONE IN THE UPS FAMILY IN THEIR IN THEIR THOUGHTS. AND AS YOU STATED, EVERYONE’S IN OUR HEARTS TONIGHT AND YOU SAID LOUISVILLIANS ARE VERY RESILIENT. WE ARE INDEED. WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. WE KNOW PEOPLE WANT A LOT OF ANSWERS, AND WE’RE GOING TO GET PEOPLE ANSWERS AS QUICK AS WE CAN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US AGAIN TONIGHT. YES. THANKS, VICKY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE’RE GETTING A LOT OF UPDATES NOW FROM CITY STATE OFFICIALS AND AIRPORT OFFICIALS. NORMAN SEAWRIGHT IS STANDING BY LIVE. HE IS HERE AT THE AIRPORT ALSO. NORMAN, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM AIRPORT OFFICIALS? WELL, RIGHT NOW, VICKY, WE’RE HEARING THAT TWO THINGS RIGHT NOW. WE CAN TELL YOU ABOUT, FIRST UP, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WILL BE HERE TOMORROW TO START DOING THEIR INVESTIGATIONS. AT THE SAME TIME, OF COURSE, FIREFIGHTERS FROM LOUISVILLE METRO, FROM AROUND THE COUNTY, FROM EVEN OUTSIDE THE COUNTY ARE WORKING ON CONTAINMENT. NOW, YOU MENTIONED AN OIL FARM. THERE ARE TANKS FULL OF OIL AND OTHER SORTS OF LIQUIDS THAT COULD BE FLAMMABLE. AND WHAT WE’VE BEEN TOLD BY THE FIRE CHIEF, BRIAN O’NEILL HERE IS THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT STAYS CONTAINED. ANYTHING THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD EARLIER IN THE DAY, PART OF THAT WAS SOME OF THE RELEASE SAFETY VALVES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TANKS DO NOT RUPTURE. SO THEY ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT. THEY’RE WORKING ON THE HOTSPOTS, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM WHERE VICKY IS RIGHT NOW. AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE PREPARING FOR THE NTSB TO COME IN AND HOPEFULLY FIND SOME ANSWERS. I’VE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF FRIENDS IN THE AVIATION COMMUNITY, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE HEARTBROKEN. THEY THEY’RE JUST DEVASTATED. THIS IS SCARY FOR ANYONE WHO, OF COURSE, LIVES AROUND HERE AND KNOWS ANYBODY IN THIS INDUSTRY. SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO SEE ANY OF THIS DEBRIS LYING ABOUT IN THE AREA. FIRST THINGS FIRST. DON’T TOUCH IT. REPORT IT, DON’T TOUCH IT BECAUSE IT’S NOT SAFE. BUT ALSO DON’T TOUCH IT BECAUSE THE NTSB WILL NEED THAT TO HELP RECREATE THE ACCIDENT. FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. AND THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD, OF COURSE, FROM THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY EARLIER ON TONIGHT IN THEIR BRIEFING, WE ARE ALSO ASKING THE PUBLIC IF THEY WERE TO FIND ANY DEBRIS IN THE AREA TO PLEASE AVOID TOUCHING THIS DEBRIS AND REPORT TO THE REPORT THE DEBRIS AS WELL. THEY CAN TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE, WHICH IS LOUISVILLE, KY DOT GOV BACKSLASH EMERGENCY SERVICES. WE ARE ASKING EVERYONE TO PLEASE FOLLOW THE AIRPORT’S X PAGE AT FLY LOUISVILLE FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES. AND FOR RIGHT NOW, AS WE KNOW, THE AREA OF SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER IS JUST DOWN TO ONE MILE AROUND THE AIRPORT. EVERYWHERE OUTSIDE OF THAT IS DEEMED TO NOT BE AS AT MUCH AT RISK FOR RIGHT NOW. BUT AGAIN, NTSB WILL BE HERE IN THE MORNING. THEY WILL BE EXPECTED TO TALK TO US SOMETIME BEFORE NOON, AS THEY TOLD US IN THIS BRIEFING AS WELL, VICKY, THAT’S WHAT WE’RE HEARING OVER HERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NORMAN. NOW, GOVERNOR BESHEAR ARRIVED IN LOUISVILLE JUST HOURS AFTER THE CRASH. HE AND OTHER LOCAL LEADERS ARE NOW WORKING TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. DEANDRIA TURNER HEARD FROM THEM TODAY. SHE’S LIVE NOW AT THE BIG FOUR BRIDGE, WHICH IS NOW LIT UP YELLOW FOR UPS DEANDRIA TURNER. VICKY. THAT’S RIGHT. IT’S JUST A SIMPLE GESTURE TO HONOR THOSE SEVEN LIVES THAT HAVE LOST AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES RIGHT NOW, AND EVEN THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE LIVES HAVE CHANGED FOREVER BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOST THEIR LOVED ONES. IT’S TO HONOR THOSE AND FIGHT FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL RECOVERING. AND NOW AGAIN, WE DID SPEAK TO GOVERNOR BESHEAR EARLIER TODAY. THEY TOLD US THE PLANE WAS CARRYING 250,000 GALLONS OF JET FUEL, AND NO HAZARDOUS CARGO WAS ON BOARD. BUT THE LOCATION OF THE CRASH CREATED DANGEROUS CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SEVERAL EXPLOSIONS EARLY ON ON, CREWS SAY THAT THEY’RE STILL IN LIFE SAVING PHASE, WHICH MEANS THEY’RE DOING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL EVERYONE WHO’S BEEN INJURED AND IMPACTED, THEY’RE KNOCKING ON DOORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET EVERYONE OUT AND INTO THE HOSPITAL. WE WERE AT THE HOSPITAL EARLIER WHERE THEY WERE AT A CODE YELLOW, WHICH MEANS THEY WERE READY FOR A DISASTER. AND ABOUT A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO THEY WERE OUT OF THAT CODE YELLOW. THEY ARE TREATING 11 PATIENTS AT DIFFERENT U OF L HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. THE NTSB WILL LEAD THIS INVESTIGATION, AND OFFICIALS STRESSED THAT EVERYONE REALLY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER DURING THIS TIME. AND ALSO THEY TALKED ABOUT JUST HOW LOUISVILLE IS. SO PERSEVERANCE, HOW WE PERSEVERE OVER EVERYTHING. AND WE PERSIST. AND EVEN THROUGH THIS TRAGEDY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. CITY OF LOUISVILLE, TO JOIN THEM IN PRAYING FOR THE VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO BRAVELY RUSHED TO THE SCENE TO SAVE PEOPLE AND ARE STILL ACTIVELY WORKING TO PUT THE PUT THE FIRE OUT. OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT. THE MAYOR’S OFFICE IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH FIRST RESPONDERS, FEDERAL AUTHORITIES AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAMS TO RESPOND AND SECURE THE AREA. AND VICKY, STATE AND CITY LEADERS ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO PLEASE BE PATIENT AND TO PLEASE HAVE GRACE WITH THEM AS THIS IS AN ONGOING AND EVER CHANGING INVESTIGATION FOR DAYS AND WEEKS AND MAYBE EVEN MONTHS TO COME. FOR NOW, THE BIG FOUR BRIDGE DEANDRIA TURNER WLKY NEWS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, ANDREA. OF COURSE, ONCE AGAIN, THE AIRPORT IS CLOSED TONIGHT. IT IS EXPECTED TO OPEN AGAIN TOMORROW. THE COURTS. THE PLANE CRASH HAS AFFECTED MANY FAMILIES AND MANY FLIGHTS OUT OF HERE. JAMIE MAYES IS LIVE HERE ALSO AT THE AIRPORT TONIGHT. JAMIE, ARE THERE STILL PEOPLE INSIDE WAITING FOR FLIGHTS? MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE? CARRYING FIREARMS THROUGH THE TSA. ALL OF THOSE DEPARTING FLIGHTS THAT WERE EXPECTED TO LEAVE OUT OF SDF HAVE BEEN CANCELED. I SPOKE WITH A FEW PASSENGERS EARLIER TODAY WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE EXPECTING TO LEAVE THE AIRPORT TODAY, BUT INSTEAD ARE CHOOSING TO SOME. SOME OF THEM ARE CHOOSING TO SPEND THE NIGHT HERE. YOU CAN SEE A FEW OF THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND ME HERE, JUST SITTING, WAITING, HOPING THAT AT SOME POINT TOMORROW MORNING THEY’LL BE ABLE TO LEAVE OUT OF SDF. EARLIER TODAY, TSA WAS TURNING PASSENGERS AWAY UPSTAIRS AS PEOPLE WERE NOT ABLE TO BOARD THEIR FLIGHTS. WE SPOKE TO PEOPLE WHO CAME IN AS FAR AWAY AS FRANCE, WHO SAID THEY WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT NEXT STEPS. MANY PEOPLE TOLD ME THEY DIDN’T MIND WAITING ON THEIR FLIGHTS. GIVEN THE TRAGEDY THAT HAS UNFOLDED THIS EVENING. I FEEL BLESSED THAT IT WAS NOT, YOU KNOW, OUR PLANE, BUT FEEL SO SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE. AND SDF SAYS ANYONE WHO WAS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE OR DEPART HERE FROM THE AIRPORT IS ASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO CHECK THEIR FLIGHT SCHEDULES. REPORTING LIVE. I’M JAMIE MAYES WLKY NEWS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. JAMIE, BACK OUTSIDE HERE AT THE AIRPORT, THERE ARE MORE REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS HERE THAN ANYONE ELSE RIGHT NOW. IF YOU ROLLED UP TO THE AIRPORT, AT FIRST GLANCE, YOU’D THINK NOTHING’S GOING ON. BUT JUST AS SOON AS YOU GET OUT OF YOUR CAR, YOU IMMEDIATELY SMELL THE JET FUEL, AND ONCE AGAIN, YOU SEE THOSE HOT SPOTS BURNING IN THE DISTANCE BACK FROM THE RUNWAY, BACK THE CRASH SITE NOW, FIRST RESPONDERS ACROSS THE STATE ARE STILL HERE AT THIS HOUR, AND THEY WILL BE HERE FOR HOURS, TIRELESSLY. A TRAGIC SCENE. BUT RICK, ONCE AGAIN, AS WE’VE SAID MANY, MANY TIMES, LOUISVILLIANS ARE RESILIENT AND WE COME TOGETHER IN TIMES LIKE THESE. CERTAINLY DO. THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICKI. WELL, LMPD HAS SET UP A REUNIFICATION CENTER FOR FAMILIES AT THE LMPD TRAINING FACILITY THAT’S ON TAYLOR BOULEVARD, WLKY’S MADISON ELLIOTT IS THERE FOR US TONIGHT. MADISON. RICK, WE’VE SEEN FAMILIES COMING IN LOOKING FOR HELP TO REUNIFY WITH THEIR LOVED ONES WHO MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS RIGHT NOW. THIS IS WHERE LMPD IS ASKING FAMILIES TO COME VERSUS GOING TO THE HOSPITAL, BECAUSE HOSPITALS RIGHT NOW ARE JUST NOT SET UP TO HANDLE REUNIFICATION DURING THIS TYPE OF EMERGENCY. SO THEY’VE BEEN ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY TO COME HERE. WE JUST SPOKE WITH THE SALVATION ARMY NOT TOO LONG AGO. THEY ARE ONE OF THE MANY PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT TO ASSIST LMPD AND TO ASSIST FAMILIES HERE TO PROVIDE SNACKS, WATER AND REALLY COMFORT DURING THIS VERY TRAGIC TIME AS THEY TRY TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT WHERE THEIR LOVED 1ST MAY BE AND HOW THEY ARE DOING. AND JUST AS THEY ARE WORKING HARD HERE TO HELP FAMILIES, MANY TRAVELERS WE CAUGHT UP WITH WHEN WE WERE AT THE AIRPORT EARLIER AS WELL ARE WORKING TO NOW GET HOME. MANY WERE STRANDED SITTING ON THE TARMAC FOR MANY HOURS AND DID NOT GET OUT OF LOUISVILLE TONIGHT AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED, AND WE SPOKE TO GROUPS FROM BOTH ORLANDO AND BOSTON TONIGHT WHO WERE JUST TRYING TO FIND THEIR WAY HOME, BUT SAY THEY WERE ON THE PLANE WHEN THEY SAW ALL OF THESE FLAMES. THE PASSENGER IN FRONT OF US. YEAH, BECAUSE THEY KEPT ON SAYING, HOLD UP, HOLD UP, HOLD OFF. AND THEN WE SAID, WHAT’S ALL THAT SMOKE? YOU KNOW, AND WE NOTICED THE SMOKE COMING IN THE SKY. WE COULD SEE IT THROUGH OUR WINDOWS OF THE PLANE. AND THEN SOMEONE POSTED IT FROM ANOTHER AIRPLANE ON INSTAGRAM. SO WE SAW IT. IT WAS PRETTY. YEAH, WE SAW IT ONLINE. PEOPLE STARTED CHECKING THEIR PHONES. SO THAT THERE IS A GROUP YOU JUST HEARD THEY WERE TRYING TO GET BACK TO BOSTON TONIGHT, SO THEY’LL BE STAYING HERE ANOTHER NIGHT IN LOUISVILLE. WE’RE NOT SURE WHEN FLIGHTS WILL BE GETTING BACK UP AT THE LOUISVILLE AIRPORT AT THIS POINT. BUT AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER OR SOMEBODY THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH, THIS IS THE PLACE LMPD THEIR TRAINING ACADEMY. THIS IS THE REUNIFICATION CENTER WHERE THEY WANT FAMILIES TO COME. AMERICAN RED CROSS WILL BE HERE. VICTIM SERVICES IS HERE AS WELL AS CHAPLAINS ARE HERE TO PROVIDE COMFORT DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME. FOR NOW, WE’LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU, RICK. ALL RIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH, MADISON. EARLIER THIS EVENING, WE SPOKE TO A UPS EMPLOYEE WHO SAYS THAT SHE WITNESSED THE MOMENT TRAGEDY STRUCK. I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM MY DAD ASKING ME, WAS I OKAY? AND I LITERALLY HAD JUST WALKED IN THE HOUSE FROM WORK. AND I JUST ALL OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS WAS JUST CALLING ME, ASKING ME IF I WAS OKAY. THEY TOLD ME ABOUT IT AND I JUST STARTED CALLING MY. EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEES AND STUFF AND JUST MAKE SURE THEY WAS OKAY AND STUFF. BUT AND THEN THAT’S WHEN I CAME OVER TO, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I WAS TOLD FROM MY GROUP THAT IT WAS ONE OF OUR PLANES. I’M SOME SOME ARE SAYING IT’S SPIRIT. I’M NOT FOR SURE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I MEAN, I JUST A LITTLE SHAKY BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW HOW TOMORROW’S GOING TO GO. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO GO TO WORK TOMORROW. YOU GOT TO THINK ABOUT PLANES FALLING OUT THE SKY, BEING IN THE BUILDING. AND I DON’T KNOW, IT’S A LITTLE SCARY FOR ME AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH, UPS WORLDPORT HAS HALTED ALL OPERATIONS AS FIRST RESPONDERS CONTINUE INVESTIGATING THE CRASH. NEXT DAY. AIR SUPPORT HAS ALSO BEEN CANCELED AND NO EMPLOYEES WILL NEED TO REPORT TO WORK TONIGHT. IN A STATEMENT, THE COMPANY SAID THEY’RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE NTSB A
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Fiery Kentucky plane crash leaves trail of destruction and rising death toll
A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded Tuesday while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least seven people and injuring numerous others. The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. as it was departing for Honolulu from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Video showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. Video also revealed portions of a building’s shredded roof next to the end of the runway. The death toll had risen to at least seven on Tuesday night, and four of those killed were not on the plane, officials said.Among 11 people who were hurt, some had “very significant” injuries, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, adding he expects the death toll to increase. “Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” he said. Sister station WLKY reports that at least two people are in critical condition and at least eight have non-life-threatening injuries. There are at least two others missing from a nearby auto shop.UPS’s largest package handling facility is located in Louisville, and the company announced on Tuesday night that it had halted package sorting at the center, without specifying when it would resume. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.The governor said a business, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, appeared to be “hit pretty directly,” and a nearby auto parts operation was also affected.Beshear said he didn’t know the status of the three crew members aboard the plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 made in 1991. Because of the long trip, it was fully fueled, leading to the large fire. It spread easily to nearby facilities, like a large recycling center.UPS said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information about the official investigation. WARNING: Video below shows the fiery crash. Viewer discretion advised.A video taken by Leirim Rodríguez shows several massive balls of flames exploding into the sky in a row, followed by large billowing clouds of black smoke. Rodriguez told the AP she and her husband just happened to be in the area at the time of the explosion.Destyn Mitchell said she was working as a host at an Outback restaurant, about a 15-minute drive from the crash, when she heard a “very loud boom.” About 20 people were in the restaurant.”The mood in the restaurant was very shaken up,” Mitchell said. “Everyone is really concerned. 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.”The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded Tuesday while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least seven people and injuring numerous others.
The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. as it was departing for Honolulu from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
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Video showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. Video also revealed portions of a building’s shredded roof next to the end of the runway.
The death toll had risen to at least seven on Tuesday night, and four of those killed were not on the plane, officials said.
Among 11 people who were hurt, some had “very significant” injuries, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, adding he expects the death toll to increase.
“Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” he said.
Sister station WLKY reports that at least two people are in critical condition and at least eight have non-life-threatening injuries. There are at least two others missing from a nearby auto shop.
UPS’s largest package handling facility is located in Louisville, and the company announced on Tuesday night that it had halted package sorting at the center, without specifying when it would resume. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.
The governor said a business, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, appeared to be “hit pretty directly,” and a nearby auto parts operation was also affected.
Beshear said he didn’t know the status of the three crew members aboard the plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 made in 1991.
Because of the long trip, it was fully fueled, leading to the large fire. It spread easily to nearby facilities, like a large recycling center.
UPS said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information about the official investigation.
WARNING: Video below shows the fiery crash. Viewer discretion advised.
A video taken by Leirim Rodríguez shows several massive balls of flames exploding into the sky in a row, followed by large billowing clouds of black smoke. Rodriguez told the AP she and her husband just happened to be in the area at the time of the explosion.
Destyn Mitchell said she was working as a host at an Outback restaurant, about a 15-minute drive from the crash, when she heard a “very loud boom.” About 20 people were in the restaurant.
“The mood in the restaurant was very shaken up,” Mitchell said. “Everyone is really concerned. 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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
