A Honolulu-bound UPS cargo plane crashed Tuesday at Muhammad Ali Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, where the company operates its largest package delivery hub.
The crash killed at least seven people, according to the governor, and injured at least 11. Firefighters from across the state converged on the scene to battle the blaze.
The wreck, about three miles south of the airfield, caused a massive fire and smoke plume.
UPS is the largest employer in the city of Louisville. This crash is the company’s deadliest since its founding in 1988.
Here are the key details to know about this active emergency incident:
Governor Beshear has said that the death toll is likely to rise
A UPS plane crash Tuesday at the Louisville airport killed seven people and paused operations at the company’s massive distribution hub there (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
The UPS MD-11 aircraft crashed around 5.15 pm local time shortly after the plane departed the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The wreck of Flight 2976 killed seven people, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed to the media. In a post on social media, Beshear said that the death toll is likely to rise.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has said that four of the deceased were not on board the aircraft.
UPS said Tuesday that three individuals were on the crew of the jet that crashed, but their status is unconfirmed.
The crash killed at least seven people and injured 11, with officials warning that both counts likely will rise as more information becomes available (AP)
At least 11 were injured in the disaster, with officials warning that the number of dead and wounded will likely rise as more details become available about the incident.
Officials have asked loved ones of victims not to flood local hospitals
Local government officials have asked the family and friends of potential victims of the crash not to go to local hospitals as they are not capable of dealing with reunification at the current time.
A runway remains operational at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, but flights departing Tuesday have been cancelled, according to the Louisville Police Department.
The airport will be open on Wednesday, Mayor Greenberg said.
Officials have said that schools in the Louisville metro area will be closed on Wednesday in response to the crash. Students will operate on snow day protocol.
UPS uses the airport as a key distribution hub, and the company announced Tuesday night it had suspended package sorting operations for the day.
The UPS Worldport hub at the Louisville airport processes 2 million packages per day (Getty Images)
The company has also halted all operations planned for Wednesday at the facility, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
Local residents have been asked not to touch debris
Residents in the area around the crash site have been asked not to touch the debris, as it may be important evidence in the investigation. Some people in the area reported seeing boxes of Hawaiian-style skirts on their properties, reports WAVE.
Federal officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will probe the crash.
The NTSB will lead the investigation, and a “go-team” from the agency will arrive in Louisville on Wednesday.
Federal investigators will arrive Wednesday in Louisville to probe the cause of the crash (AP)
The team will consist of 28 investigators, per the mayor.
More than 300 flights per day depart UPS’s Louisville hub
UPS’s Worldport delivery hub, the company’s largest, is located at the airport where the crash occurred.
The facility processes approximately 2 million packages per day, employs around 20,000 people, and serves customers in over 200 countries.
More than 300 flights depart and arrive at Worldport each day.
More than 100 firefighters worked to contain the blaze from the crash, and the fire had largely been contained by Tuesday night (Getty Images)
In 2022, the company announced plans to expand the facility by building out a hangar with room for two 747 jets and eight flight simulators, as well as facilities for UPS’s healthcare-focused delivery division.
UPS is the largest employer in the area.
Massive fire ‘contained and controlled’ as responders search for victims
The crash initially caused an enormous fire, which sent a plume of black smoke into the air.
The initial fire sparked secondary explosions in fuel tanks near the airport.
Multiple businesses were damaged in the crash, including a fuel recycling center and an auto parts store (AP)
More than 100 firefighters responded to the incident, and the blaze is now “contained and controlled,” according to Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill.
Firefighters are now going “grid-by-grid” searching for low-level remnants of the fire and any survivors or deceased people.
“This incident is going to be going on for a while,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The cargo jet that crashed was not carrying hazardous material, and particulate monitors are not turning up any “adverse readings,” Jodie Meiman, executive director at Louisville Emergency Management, said Tuesday night at a press conference.
Damage reported at nearby businesses
The crash damaged at least two businesses near the airport.
Gov. Beshear said during a Tuesday press conference that Kentucky Petroleum Recycling was hit “directly.”
Another business, Grade A Auto Parts, was also impacted. Beshear said that the business has accounted for all but two of its employees.
Louisville International Airport will be open for business on Wednesday, according to the mayor (AP)
The known employees on hand at both businesses are believed to be accounted for, Mayor Greenberg said Tuesday, although he acknowledged that officials may not be aware of all those who are still missing.
A nearby Ford plant was not impacted, Beshear said earlier Tuesday, calling the news a “blessing,” given the number of employees inside at the time.
Officials order residents to remain in place and avoid swarming hospitals
A shelter-in-place order is in effect for a one-mile radius around the crash site.
Louisville residents have been warned not to disturb any crash debris they encounter and are instructed to report it to local officials.
Emergency responders urged those seeking missing family members not to go to area hospitals, but instead to visit a family information center set up at 2911 Taylor Boulevard.
With reporting from The Associated Press.
