UPS cargo plane crashes in Kentucky, killing at least 9 as it explodes in fireball
Flames were seen on the wing of the widebody MD-11 freighter before it crashed while taking off from Louisville in Kentucky
The death toll from the crash of a UPS cargo plane that erupted into a fireball moments after takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday has risen to nine, city and state officials said on Wednesday.
The plane crashed about 5.15pm on Tuesday as 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. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. Video also revealed portions of a building’s shredded roof next to the end of the runway.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he expected the death toll to increase.
“Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” he said.
Beshear said he did not know the status of the three crew members aboard the plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 made in 1991.
UPS’ largest package handling facility is in Louisville, and the company announced on Tuesday night that it had halted package sorting at the centre and did not say when it would resume. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the National Transportation Safety Board was handling the investigation and sending 28 people.