Seven people have been killed, and at least 11 others have been seriously injured after an MD-11 cargo jet operated by UPS from its global headquarters in Louisville crashed as it attempted to take off on Tuesday evening.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the fiery crash, with a go-team already on the way to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Investigators will be probing how the Number 1, left-hand engine, somehow detached from the wing of the plane as it hurtled along the runway for takeoff on a scheduled flight to Honolulu, Hawai’i.
The aircraft briefly became airborne before quickly losing altitude, scraping through the roof of a UPS building at the end of the runway, and then exploding into a huge fireball in other nearby buildings.
The wreckage of the burning aircraft then slid along the ground for some time, wiping out other buildings and sending thick black smoke into the air.
At the height of the fire, a five-mile shelter-in-place order was activated, although that has now been stood down by local authorities.
There are some reports that engineers had been working on the left-hand engine before departure, although this is yet to be confirmed by the NTSB. The agency is expected to hold its first news conference on Wednesday.
Horrific video captured on surveillance cameras, dash cams, and cellphones showed the aircraft exploding into a huge ball of flames with the fire quickly spreading over a large area.
UPS has suspended operations at its Louisville headquarters, which is known as its ‘Worldport.’
In a statement, the company said it was “terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville. Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved.”
“UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers, and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers.”
Four of those who have been confirmed killed in the accident were on the ground, and two of those who were injured are in a critical condition. More deaths are likely to be reported in the coming hours.
Flight and aircraft details
- UPS flight 5X-2976
- Aircraft: MD-11
- Age: 34 years old
- Route: Louisville (SDF) – Honolulu (HNL)
- Engines: 2 x GE CF6-80C2D1F
Your info at the end states that the MD11 has 2x engines. Is it not 3x?
your description of the MD11 is incorrect in the number of engines… an MD-11 has 3 engines not 2.
Aircraft engine data is wrong…the MD-11 has three(3) engines, one on each wing and one on the tail.