Officials confirmed on Wednesday that nine people died and 15 were injured after a UPS cargo plane crashed moments after takeoff in Louisville on Tuesday evening.
Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F freighter bound for Honolulu, erupted in a massive fireball when it crashed at 5:15 p.m. just south of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, authorities said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the updated death toll on social media. He said in a news conference that the figure includes the three crew members aboard and other persons on the ground, with 16 families reporting loved ones still missing as of Wednesday morning.
The aircraft, carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel weighing 233,000 pounds and up to 20,000 packages, struck an industrial area that includes Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, triggering secondary explosions from propane and oil tanks, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said. Relief valves on some tanks activated as designed, he added.
Multiple buildings caught fire after the crash, and thick black smoke could be seen rising from the site. Beshear stated at a news conference that several buildings had been completely destroyed.
UofL Health received 15 patients across its facilities; 13 were discharged by Wednesday morning, while two burn victims remained in critical condition at UofL Hospital’s intensive care unit.
More than 200 first responders, including over 100 firefighters from 18 fire departments, battled the blaze into Tuesday night. A shelter-in-place order was reduced to a quarter-mile radius around the site by Wednesday; Jefferson County Public Schools, which serves nearly 100,000 students, canceled classes for that day.
The Federal Aviation Administration suspended all flights Tuesday night but reopened the airport on Wednesday, though multiple taxiways stayed closed and only one runway operated.
UPS paused package sorting at its 5.2 million-square-foot Worldport hub, which employs 20,000 and handles over 300 daily flights, and canceled Second Day Air operations for the day. Worldport is the main air hub for UPS.
“This is a UPS town,” Louisville Metro Councilwoman Betsy Ruhe, whose district includes part of the crash site, said at a news conference on Tuesday. “We all know somebody who works at UPS, 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.”
UPS, the largest employer in Louisville, said family members seeking information should call 800-631-0604.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with FAA and NTSB teams expected to arrive on Wednesday.