At least 7 dead after UPS plane crashes in Kentucky, erupts into ball of fire
Flames from the crash ignited a string of fires on the ground in an industrial corridor adjacent to the international airport
Highlights:
- All three crew members feared dead; one fatality and at least 11 injuries confirmed on ground
- Crash occurred shortly after it took off on flight bound for Honolulu
- Officials fear death toll could grow from fatalities on the ground
- Fire on wing was visible in video of the plane as it took off
At least seven people were killed and 11 others injured after a UPS wide-body cargo plane crashed and erupted into a massive fireball shortly after takeoff on Tuesday from Louisville, Kentucky, authorities said.
Flames from the crash ignited a string of fires on the ground in an industrial corridor adjacent to the international airport, apparently accounting for one of the confirmed fatalities and the injuries of 11 people, who according to airport officials were taken to hospital.
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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said some people suffered "very significant" injuries and that he expected the number of casualties to grow as emergency personnel extinguished fires still burning near the airport.
The triple-engine plane was fueled for an 8-1/2 hour flight to Honolulu. The aircraft carried a crew of three, according to UPS. Federal officials said all those aboard were feared dead. The Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said a seventh fatality was confirmed.
Television channel WLKY, a CBS affiliate, showed video of the crash as it occurred. Fire on one wing was visible in the video as the plane took off, and a fireball erupted as it hit the ground. Several buildings in an industrial area beyond the runway were on fire after the crash, with thick black smoke rising into the evening sky.
"UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
One key question investigators will look at is whether the engine separated before the crash, a person briefed on the matter said, noting video reports of debris on the airfield.
US air safety expert and pilot John Cox said investigators will need to look at why the plane with three engines failed to fly after the first one caught fire.
"It's too big a fire for a normal, typical-engine fire," Cox said. "It's much too big."
"That airplane should have flown on two engines. So now we've got to look at what caused it not to fly," he added.
Fires were still burning near the airport, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a social media post shortly before 7 p.m. ET (0000 GMT).
Officials issued a shelter-in-place order for all locations within five miles (8 km) of the airport.
