Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said 11 people were injured and the death toll could rise.
Published on November 5, 2025
At least three people were killed when a large, wide-body UPS cargo plane crashed while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, causing a massive fire and “several injuries” on the ground, authorities said.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed on Tuesday at 5:15 local time (22:15 GMT) while taking off from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali Airport, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
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UPS said in an initial statement that there were three crew members on board, but did not provide any information about any casualties or injuries.
“Right now, we believe we have at least three deaths, and I believe that number is going to be higher,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at a news conference.
“We have at least 11 injuries, some of them very significant, that are being treated by local hospitals. Again, I think the number will go up,” Beshear said.
Beshear said the National Transportation Safety Board, with assistance from the FAA, will begin an investigation into the crash.
Aerial footage of the crash site showed a long trail of debris as firefighters pumped water on the massive fire and smoke billowed from the disaster area.
Beshear said the plane crashed directly into two local businesses — a petroleum recycling company and an auto parts company.
Aerials: Aftermath of UPS plane crash at Louisville airport | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/rKvQXXrmvt
— WLKY (@WLKY) 4 November 2025
The Louisville Metro Police Department said in a post on social media that a “shelter-in-place” notice has been issued for all locations within an 8 km (5-mile) radius of the airport.
“We have every emergency agency responding to the scene. There are multiple injuries and the fire is still burning,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a post on social media.
“There are many road closures in the area – please avoid the scene,” Greenberg said, describing the crash as an “incredible tragedy” for the local community.
Louisville Airport is home to UPS Worldport, the global hub of the firm’s air cargo operations, which is reported to be the largest package handling facility in the world, with thousands of employees and about 300 scheduled cargo flights per day.
The FAA said the plane that crashed was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 en route from Louisville to Honolulu, Hawaii.
Aircraft tracking site FlightRadar24 said the plane had flown from Louisville to Baltimore before returning to Louisville.
Louisville Airport said the airport was closed after the incident.
Reuters news agency said the crash would disrupt UPS deliveries and its major customers, including Amazon, Walmart and the United States Postal Service.