Seven Killed After UPS Cargo Jet Crashes Near Louisville Airport
Update (0640ET):
Late Tuesday, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo jet operated by UPS suffered a catastrophic engine fire while taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The aircraft failed to generate enough lift and crashed into an industrial park near the airport, killing three crew members and at least seven people on the ground.
UPS Flight 2976 was on a straight-out departure from Louisville when one engine burst into flames. It reached about 175 feet in altitude before plunging into a fiery explosion just beyond the runway around 5:15 p.m. local time."
New video shows a different angle of the crash.
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as Heartbreaking new CCTV footage captures the horrifying moment as a UPS cargo Flight 2976 plummets from the sky, crashing in a massive fireball in Louisville, Kentucky tonight. The cargo jet erupted into flames upon impact, lighting up the night sky as debris… pic.twitter.com/X10vHPcJyO
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 5, 2025
UPS Flight 2976, There was a fuel leak on the left wing and the turbine caused the fire; there were 3 deaths and 11 injuries. The investigation is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/koVqmvuoEF
— Kaelion (@KaelionArboryx) November 5, 2025
"The news out of Louisville is tough tonight as the death toll has now reached at least seven, with that number expected to rise," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear wrote on X.
On X, UPS said it is working with the FAA and the NTSB and remains in close contact with federal authorities. The global shipper halted operations at its Worldport global hub for the night.
For context, the MD-11 cargo jet was originally built for Thai Airways in the early 1990s and later converted into a freighter with three GE CF6 engines.
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Dramatic footage from Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening shows a UPS jumbo jet on departure before what appears to be a catastrophic mechanical failure - possibly an engine fire. The aircraft failed to generate enough altitude before crashing and erupting into flames moments later.
"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 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and will provide all updates," the FAA wrote on X.
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 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.…
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) November 4, 2025
Absolutely shocking footage coming out from Muhammad Ali International Airport...
I was just sent this angle of the Louisville UPS crash. pic.twitter.com/75FzgwjuDC
— Swan (@AndySwan) November 5, 2025
FOOTAGE: Another perspective of the UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane crashing just after takeoff from Louisville International Airport.
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) November 4, 2025
pic.twitter.com/AcpGfZhfil
🚨#BREAKING: A major emergency response is currently underway after a UPS cargo plane crashed, leaving multiple people injured a shelter-in-place order within a five-mile radius of the airport.
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 4, 2025
📌#Louisville | #Kentucky
A significant emergency response is currently underway in… pic.twitter.com/hxw8yQdNBa
WATCH: UPS plane (UPS2976) crashes after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) November 4, 2025
Video validated by the Network pic.twitter.com/h9FtsLRumc
Reports of a massive explosion and resulting fire, possibly the result of a crash involving a cargo plane with UPS Airlines, near Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/HtTQLVDH6D
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 4, 2025
Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky is currently closed to arriving and departing flights, following the crash of (UPS2976), a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 being operated as a cargo plane by UPS Airlines that had just taken-off from the UPS Worldport in… pic.twitter.com/vck5PmJMNK
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 4, 2025
*Developing...