A UPS cargo plane crashed and caught fire near Louisville International Airport, killing at least seven people and injuring others. The MD-11 aircraft was bound for Hawaii when it experienced engine failure shortly after takeoff. The crash caused major disruptions at the UPS Worldport hub and Louisville airport. Officials, including Governor Andy Beshear, warned the death toll may rise. The FAA and NTSB are investigating amid broader aviation system strains linked to a prolonged government shutdown.
At Least Seven Dead in Fiery UPS Cargo Plane Crash Near Louisville Airport
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A UPS cargo jet burst into flames and crashed into a cluster of businesses just beyond Louisville International Airport on Tuesday evening, killing at least seven people and injuring several others, according to local officials.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 had just taken off from Runway 17R around 5:15 p.m. local time (2215 GMT), bound for Hawaii, when witnesses saw flames shooting from its left engine moments before impact. The aircraft went down roughly three miles south of the airfield, erupting into an inferno that sent thick black smoke billowing over Kentucky’s largest city.
Governor Andy Beshear confirmed the rising death toll at a late-night briefing, warning that the number of casualties could increase.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was working alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine what caused the crash.
A Hub in Chaos
The accident forced Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport to shut down all outbound flights Tuesday evening. UPS, which operates its largest U.S. air hub in Louisville, also suspended package-sorting operations at the sprawling Worldport facility.
“Safety is our top priority,” UPS said in a statement, noting that it had not yet confirmed any injuries or fatalities among its crew.
Aerial footage broadcast by local station WLKY showed emergency crews battling flames stretching across a long debris field. Firefighters poured water on the wreckage as smoke rose from what Governor Beshear later said was a petroleum recycling facility struck “pretty directly” by the aircraft.
Crash Amid a Broader Aviation Strain
The tragedy struck as the United States faces one of its longest government shutdowns in history, which has hobbled aviation oversight. Earlier Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of “mass chaos” in the skies due to severe shortages of air traffic controllers.Hours later, Duffy called the Louisville crash “heartbreaking” in a post on X, asking Americans to “join me in prayer for the Louisville community and flight crew impacted by this horrific crash.”
The disaster follows a January collision between an American Eagle airliner and a military Black Hawk helicopter outside Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people and ended a 16-year streak without a fatal U.S. commercial air crash.
An Industry Under Pressure
With a fleet of 516 aircraft—294 of them owned outright—UPS moves packages to more than 200 countries via nearly 2,000 flights daily. The Louisville hub is the beating heart of that network, making Tuesday’s crash not just a local tragedy, but a major blow to one of the world’s largest logistics operations.
As investigators pick through the wreckage, Louisville and the nation’s aviation community are once again confronting an unsettling question: Is America’s air system—strained, understaffed, and aging—pushing its limits?