At least three people are dead and 11 are injured after a UPS freight plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed during a news conference.
The governor stressed that those numbers are preliminary — and could rise. “That number is going to get larger,” Beshear said grimly, adding that some of the wounded had “very significant” injuries and are being treated at nearby hospitals.
The aircraft, identified as an MD-11 cargo plane carrying three crew members, went down shortly after taking off around 5 p.m. local time. Within minutes, a thick, black column of smoke could be seen rising from the crash site — just beyond the airport’s tarmac — as shown in footage from CNN affiliate WAVE.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said earlier in the evening there were “multiple injuries and the fire is still burning,” describing a massive, ongoing emergency response. “Every emergency agency [is] responding to the scene,” Greenberg added.
Beshear said officials are still working to confirm the status of the crew members on board. “Anybody who has seen the images in the video know how violent this crash is, and there are a lot of families that are going to be waiting and wondering for a period of time,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched a full investigation into the crash of UPS flight 2976. The NTSB will lead the probe, according to the FAA.
As the fire continues to burn and emergency teams comb through the wreckage, officials are bracing for the grim possibility that the toll could rise. Louisville remains on edge tonight — a city shaken by the kind of tragedy that hits without warning, leaving behind smoke, sirens, and far too many unanswered questions.
