At least seven people were killed and several others injured after a UPS plane crashed shortly after takeoff near the Louisville International Airport on Tuesday, officials said.
The number of fatalities is expected to increase, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote on social media Tuesday night. At least 11 people were injured, officials said earlier.
Beshear said on social media Wednesday morning that 16 families have reported loved ones who are unaccounted for. “A significant search and rescue mission was underway overnight, which is continuing this morning,” he said.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed at a news conference Tuesday night that at least four people had been killed on the ground.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time after it departed from the Louisville airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, when it went down three miles south of the airfield, Louisville airport public safety officer Jonathan Biven said at a news conference.
Beshear said there was no hazardous cargo onboard the plane that would create environmental issues around the crash site, but urged residents to follow any shelter-in-place orders.
The Louisville Metro Police Department described the scene as active with “fire and debris,” warning residents to stay away from Fern Valley and Grade Lane, an intersection located on the south side of the airport, which serves as the hub of UPS.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the crash and were still battling hot spots as of Tuesday night, Greenberg said. Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill noted the fire was “almost entirely contained.”
Greenberg noted on social media Wednesday morning that there were more than 200 first responders of all types at the scene in all.
O’Neill said the fire had been extinguished enough to allow a formal grid search for any possible victims in the area.
Videos of the crash showed the aircraft partially on fire as it sped down the runway before it burst into flames.
Aerial footage shows the aftermath of a plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 4, 2025. / Credit: WLKY-TV
A shelter-in-place order was reduced to a one-mile radius of the crash site, authorities said. Then Greenberg said in his post Wednesday morning it was down to a quarter-mile radius.
The police department also urged those in the area to turn off any air intake systems as soon as possible due to the smoke in the area.
“Anybody who has seen the images and the video knows how violent this crash is, and there are a lot of families that are gonna be waiting and wondering for a period of time. We’re going to try to get them that information as fast as we can,” Beshear said.
UPS said in a statement that it was notified of an incident involving one of its aircraft. Three UPS crewmembers were on board, the company said. It didn’t immediately provide more details.
“We do not at the moment have the status of the crew,” Beshear said. “Watching that video, I think we’re all very, very worried about them.”
Businesses in the area were heavily impacted by the crash, including Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, the governor said.
All arriving and departing flights at the Louisville airport were temporarily suspended. The airport was closed Tuesday night but one runway as reopened Wednesday morning, Greenberg said.
Firefighters are seen in aerial footage battling a massive blaze after a plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 4, 2025. / Credit: WLKY-TV
According to preliminary flight data from FlightRadar24, the plane appeared to hit 175 feet in altitude briefly after takeoff. It would have been full of fuel for the flight to Hawaii, which likely led to the significant fire as seen from CBS affiliate WLKY-TV‘s chopper.
The three-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was manufactured in 1991, according to FAA data.
It was carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel, which weighs about 233,000 pounds, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said. The area affected by the crash is about a city block wide, he said, but it has been difficult to contain the fire due to surrounding hazardous materials.
Greenberg urged any residents who find debris on their property not to touch it, and instead report it through a website that should be live by Wednesday.
A fireball erupts near airport property after reports of a plane crash at the Louisville International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Kentucky. / Credit: Jon Cherry / AP
The crash is where UPS Worldport, an international air hub for the parcel service, is located. UPS said it was halting package sorting operations at Worldport on Tuesday night.
“This is a UPS town,” Louisville Metro Councilwoman Betsy Ruhe, whose district is part of the crash site, said during the news conference Tuesday night. “We all know somebody who works at UPS, and they’re all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe. Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered.”
The 5.2 million-square-foot facility processes more than 400,000 packages an hour and is home to 20,000 UPS workers and 300 daily flights, according to the company.
“My team and I are closely monitoring the plane crash near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport,” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said. “We continue to pray for the safety of the aircrew, everyone in the area, and for the first-responders on the scene.”
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the crash. A team of 28 investigators is expected to arrive Wednesday, Greenberg said.
All public schools in the Jefferson County School District, the largest school district in Kentucky with a little under 100,000 students, will be closed Wednesday, Greenberg added.
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