LOUISVILLE, Ky. — At least 12 people are dead, 20 injured and others are believed to be missing following the UPS plane crash near the Louisville airport, Kentucky ‘s governor said Wednesday.
Gov. Andy Beshear said one of the people killed was a young child.
The governor also said families were awaiting word on loved ones at a reunification center.
Eighteen people received medical treatment and were discharged. Two people were in critical condition Wednesday at the University of Louisville Hospital’s burn unit.
The crash happened soon after takeoff from Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.
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Metro Atlanta-based UPS confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in the incident and that three crew members were on board.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft was on its way to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, and crashed at 5:14 p.m.
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.
“Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” Beshear previously said.
The governor added that at least two businesses, including an auto parts store, were directly hit by the plane as it fell.
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Aerial images from the area showed massive flames and major plumes of smoke.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg posted on X that details are still being gathered, but the plane was carrying 280,000 pounds of fuel.
Gov. Beshear posted on X that the situation was “serious.”
UPS acknowledged the crash in a brief statement and said the National Transportation Safety Board would handle the investigation.
The airport, meanwhile, was shut down and wasn’t expected to resume operations until Wednesday morning.
“We don’t know how long it’s going to take to render that scene safe,” said Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey.
Pablo Rojas, an aviation attorney, said that based on the videos it looked like the aircraft was struggling to gain altitude as a fire blazed on its left side around one of its engines.
Given the large amount of fuel it was carrying, once the fire started in that area, it would’ve been only a matter of time before there was an explosion or the fire grew rapidly.
“Really, the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel,” he said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
Online records from the NTSB show they investigated four accidents in Louisville last year.