A UPS cargo plane bound for Honolulu crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport around 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 4, in what officials are calling the deadliest crash in UPS Airlines history. As of late last night, authorities confirmed at least seven people dead and 11 injured, with the toll expected to rise. The MD-11 aircraft, carrying more than 220,000 pounds of jet fuel, erupted into flames after impact, producing a massive fire and thick smoke visible for miles. Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze for hours, while a shelter-in-place order was issued and later reduced to a one-mile radius as crews monitored air quality. Governor Andy Beshear called it a “large-scale, mass-casualty incident,” and confirmed that while the plane carried no hazardous cargo, the crash affected nearby industrial businesses and ruptured fuel tanks. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation, with officials expected to provide an update on Nov. 5. UPS operations at Louisville’s Worldport hub have been temporarily halted, and Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes for today due to the shelter-in-place order issued by the city.
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