At least seven people have been killed after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded while taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, officials have confirmed.
The crash occurred at around 17:15 local time (22:15 GMT) on Tuesday evening, when the MD-11F aircraft burst into flames moments after departure. The state’s governor, Andy Beshear, said the plane’s three crew members were among the dead, while two workers at a nearby auto business struck by the aircraft remain unaccounted for.
Authorities said the explosion, which sent plumes of thick black smoke into the sky, was caused by the 38,000 gallons (144,000 litres) of jet fuel the aircraft was carrying. The blaze spread across several nearby buildings, including a petroleum recycling plant.
Eleven people were injured, several with serious burns, and taken to local hospitals. Emergency services described the scene as “extremely dangerous” due to the amount of spilled fuel and the risk of further explosions.
A shelter-in-place order was initially issued within a five-mile radius of the airport over concerns about air quality and fire hazards, before later being reduced to one mile as crews worked to contain the blaze.
Governor Beshear urged residents to avoid the area, warning: “Anyone who has seen the images and video knows how violent this crash is. There are still dangerous things that are flammable and potentially explosive.”
The plane was en route to Hawaii, roughly 4,300 miles (6,920km) away. UPS confirmed that three crew members were on board and said it was “terribly saddened” by the incident.
“UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, customers and the communities we serve,” the company said in a statement. “This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers.”
Louisville’s mayor, Craig Greenberg, called it “an incredible tragedy our community will never forget,” praising first responders who “flooded the scene to help control the fire and assist victims on the ground.”
The aircraft involved was a 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, previously operated by Thai Airways before being converted to a freighter and delivered to UPS in 2006.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash, with Boeing which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997 saying it would offer “technical assistance.”
Louisville Fire Department chief Brian O’Neal said responders faced an “exceptionally challenging situation” due to the fuel load, while police chief Paul Humphrey confirmed the site would remain an “active scene for several days.”
Louisville, home to UPS’s massive Worldport air hub, has suspended all air cargo operations at the facility while recovery efforts continue.