At least seven people have died following a tragic crash involving a UPS cargo plane at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, which occurred on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The incident transpired around 5:15 p.m. local time as the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft, manufactured in 1991, was taking off for a flight to Honolulu from UPS Worldport, located just miles from downtown Louisville.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported that 11 additional individuals sustained "very significant" injuries as a result of the crash. The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed to the public. Notably, four of those who perished were not aboard the aircraft, according to Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill.
Witnesses reported a sight of destruction as video footage showed flames engulfing the plane's left wing, accompanied by a trail of smoke. The aircraft appeared to lift slightly off the runway before crashing and exploding, resulting in a massive fireball that illuminated the sky. Residents near the airport captured moments of several explosions, leaving parts of a nearby building's roof shredded and a fire that spanned "almost an entire city block," as stated by Chief O'Neill.
In response to the crash, the Louisville airport was shut down and is not expected to resume operations until Wednesday morning, impacting the hub’s extensive operations that include an average of 300 daily flights and the sorting of over 400,000 packages every hour. This facility represents UPS's largest package handling operation, employing thousands of workers.
UPS has acknowledged the incident in a brief statement, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is responsible for the investigation. The company confirmed that package sorting operations at the Louisville facility would be suspended on Tuesday night, though no timeline was given for their resumption. Officials confirmed that there was no hazardous cargo on board at the time of the crash.
Aviation expert Pablo Rojas provided insights regarding the incident, emphasizing that the videos suggested the aircraft struggled to gain altitude as flames blazed on its left side near one of its engines. He noted that due to the significant amount of fuel the plane was carrying, the presence of a fire in that location would inevitably lead to either an explosion or an expansion of the fire. Rojas described the aircraft’s condition as precarious, stating that it was almost functioning as a bomb due to the fuel load it carried.
Rojas further remarked on the challenges the pilots may have faced. It is uncertain if the pilots were aware of the flames during the takeoff sequence. Even if they did detect a problem, he suggested that attempting to stop the aircraft at that stage might have posed a greater danger than continuing with the takeoff.
The investigation into the causes of the crash remains ongoing, with authorities working diligently to piece together the events leading up to this devastating incident.
