First responders searched for more victims early Wednesday (November 5) after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded in a massive fireball. The incident happened at the company’s global aviation hub in Kentucky. Authorities said the incident killed at least nine people and created an inferno that consumed the whole plane.
“With the intense fire that was there, most of the things are gone,” Mark Little, chief of the Okolona Fire District in Louisville, said.
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More Details About The UPS Cargo Plane Crash
The UPS cargo plane with three people aboard crashed about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday. It was departing for Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Video showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke.
Additionally, the crash had a ripple effect. It struck and caused more minor explosions at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
“Thankfully, a local restaurant that is right there … was missed and now is helping the search and rescue,” Gov. Beshear said. “Another blessing is this plane could have potentially hit the major Ford factory or the convention center, those are all close by, and did not.”
Based on videos of the crash, aviation attorney Pablo Rojas said the UPS plane appeared to be struggling to gain altitude as a fire blazed on its left side around one of its engines.
“Really, the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel,” he said.
Flight records show the plane was on the ground in San Antonio from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18. Meanwhile, Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator, said it’s too early to know whether the problem was in the engine, the structure that holds the engine, or something else.
“This airplane apparently did undergo heavy maintenance within the past month, and investigators will need to comb through the maintenance records to see exactly what was done,” he said.
Number Of Victims After Crash Is Unclear
On Wednesday, the governor again predicted the death toll would grow, noting that 16 families had arrived at a reunification center for news of loved ones.
“I don’t know how many victims we’re actually looking for,” the Okolona Fire District Chief said. “That’s one of the issues, and the debris zone is so large. Some of that debris is going to have to be moved and searched underneath. It will take us quite a while.”
University of Louisville Hospital said two people were in critical condition in the burn unit on Wednesday. Additionally, medics treated and discharged 13 others. Five people were treated at other hospitals.
Meanwhile, Gov. Andy Beshear said he was unaware of the status of the three crew members aboard the UPS cargo plane. It wasn’t clear if authorities are counting them among the dead. The plane involved, McDonnell Douglas MD-11, was built in 1991.
The governor said the Team Kentucky Emergency Relief Fund, typically used to help people in natural disasters, is accepting donations to help with funeral expenses and other hardships.
“In Kentucky, we grieve together and we support one another,” Beshear said.
What’s The Status At The Airport?
The Louisville package handling facility is the largest for UPS. Moreover, it employs thousands of workers, handles 300 flights daily, and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.
The airport is located near the Indiana state line, residential areas, a water park, and several museums. Officials told residents in the immediate area not to drink the tap water. A public school district in Louisville canceled classes for the day.
Still, the airport resumed operations on Wednesday morning and opened at least one runway. UPS workers could be seen entering and exiting the UPS Worldport building. At least two company flights were seen taking off. The police blocked off a busy road, approximately a quarter-mile from the crash site, on Wednesday.
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Associated Press writers and more, Bruce Schreiner, Hallie Golden, Dylan Lovan, Rebecca Reynolds, Josh Funk, John Raby, Adrian Sainz, Jonathan Mattise, Travis Loller, and Kathy McCormack contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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