Multiple fatalities reported following UPS cargo plane crash and explosion at Kentucky airport; death toll expected to rise.
A devastating air tragedy occurred at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, where a UPS cargo plane went up in flames while taking off for Honolulu on Tuesday evening. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had been carrying packages destined for the Hawaiian islands when disaster struck, leaving at least nine people dead and 11 injured.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "apocalyptic," with massive balls of flames exploding into the sky and large billowing clouds of black smoke filling the air. The plane's left wing was engulfed in fire before it lifted off the ground and crashed back down, causing a huge explosion that ripped through the airport's perimeter.
"It just rocked the whole place," said Tom Brooks Jr., who runs a metal recycling business near the crash site. "This was massive. I mean, it literally looked like a war zone."
The aircraft itself is believed to have acted like a bomb due to the large amount of fuel on board, which ignited and caused the catastrophic chain reaction that led to the disaster.
"It really, really looks like the plane was struggling to gain altitude as a fire blazed on its left side around one of its engines," said aviation attorney Pablo Rojas. "Given the amount of fuel it was carrying, once the fire started in that area, it would've been only a matter of time before there was an explosion or the fire grew rapidly."
The crash has sent shockwaves through the community, with thousands of UPS employees and contractors affected by the disaster. The company has announced that it will halt package sorting operations at its Louisville facility until further notice.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he expects the death toll to increase as rescue efforts continue, while police chief Paul Humphrey warned that the scene is still not safe for workers to return to. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the crash, which will involve 28 people.
For many in the community, the tragedy has left a personal impact, with friends and family members frantically searching for loved ones who may have been in the vicinity of the explosion.
A devastating air tragedy occurred at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, where a UPS cargo plane went up in flames while taking off for Honolulu on Tuesday evening. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had been carrying packages destined for the Hawaiian islands when disaster struck, leaving at least nine people dead and 11 injured.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "apocalyptic," with massive balls of flames exploding into the sky and large billowing clouds of black smoke filling the air. The plane's left wing was engulfed in fire before it lifted off the ground and crashed back down, causing a huge explosion that ripped through the airport's perimeter.
"It just rocked the whole place," said Tom Brooks Jr., who runs a metal recycling business near the crash site. "This was massive. I mean, it literally looked like a war zone."
The aircraft itself is believed to have acted like a bomb due to the large amount of fuel on board, which ignited and caused the catastrophic chain reaction that led to the disaster.
"It really, really looks like the plane was struggling to gain altitude as a fire blazed on its left side around one of its engines," said aviation attorney Pablo Rojas. "Given the amount of fuel it was carrying, once the fire started in that area, it would've been only a matter of time before there was an explosion or the fire grew rapidly."
The crash has sent shockwaves through the community, with thousands of UPS employees and contractors affected by the disaster. The company has announced that it will halt package sorting operations at its Louisville facility until further notice.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he expects the death toll to increase as rescue efforts continue, while police chief Paul Humphrey warned that the scene is still not safe for workers to return to. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the crash, which will involve 28 people.
For many in the community, the tragedy has left a personal impact, with friends and family members frantically searching for loved ones who may have been in the vicinity of the explosion.
just saw this 
on reddit... can't believe what happened at that airport 
. It's crazy to think about how fast things went from normal to catastrophic 
. And the fact that there was so much fuel on board makes me shudder 
. I'm glad everyone is safe, but the thought of those people trapped in the plane or injured by the blast is just devastating 
. 9 lives lost already and it's gonna get worse, right? 
. Anyone have any info on the cause?
... I can imagine how terrifying it must've been for people watching from afar - massive fireballs exploding into the sky? It's like something out of a horror movie. The thought of all that fuel on board, just waiting to ignite and cause chaos... it's crazy. And now, all these people are affected by this tragedy 
. I feel so bad for UPS employees and contractors who have their packages and livelihoods disrupted. It's gotta be super hard for them right now 
. You can't even imagine how devastating it must be to witness something like that. I remember when air travel was still relatively safe back in the day 
, and now we're seeing these crazy accidents happen all over the place.
it's just so sad. And the fact that there are more casualties expected? It's just too much to handle. The airport is still not safe for workers, can you believe it? 
. This tragedy is going to have a lasting impact on our community, and I can only hope that it will lead to changes in safety protocols to prevent something like this from happening again 
at least 9 lives lost already & it's expected to rise, hoping it doesn't get much worse 
i mean we hear about plane crashes all the time but this one takes the cake what if the fuel ignited first instead of the engine? would've been way more deadly 
. The fact that the plane was carrying so much fuel just makes me wanna cry 
. I hope they figure out what went wrong and make some changes or whatever. But for now, can we please just take a deep breath and try to process this trauma? 
and it's crazy how it could've been so unpredictable - all that fuel just exploding everywhere... hopefully everyone gets to safety soon 
and those 9 people who lost their lives, they're not forgotten 
.