(LOUISVILLE, Ky.)-A UPS cargo aircraft went down near Louisville International Airport in Kentucky moments after departure, federal aviation officials confirmed.
The incident involved Flight 2976, an MD-11 freighter that departed around 5:15 p.m. local time with Hawaii as its intended destination, according to federal authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board is taking charge of the investigation, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft had three crew members aboard at the time of the incident, UPS confirmed in a public statement. The company indicated it had not yet verified information regarding casualties or injuries.
Local law enforcement and emergency services were dispatched to the scene near the intersection of Fern Valley and Grade Lane, where witnesses reported seeing large clouds of black smoke rising into the air. The Louisville Metro Police Department confirmed that injuries had been reported and issued a shelter-in-place order for all areas within a five-mile radius of the airport.
The airport serves as UPS’s primary global air operations center, housing the company’s Worldport facility—a massive 5-million-square-foot complex where approximately 12,000 workers handle over two million packages daily.
The MD-11F involved in Tuesday’s incident is a cargo variant of the wide-body jet originally manufactured by McDonnell Douglas before Boeing acquired the company. Built in 1991, this aircraft type entered service the previous year and was initially popular for passenger operations. As operating costs rose for these three-engine jets, many were retrofitted for freight service. The aircraft can operate at a maximum takeoff weight of 633,000 pounds with a fuel capacity exceeding 38,000 gallons. Today, the MD-11F is predominantly operated by major cargo carriers including FedEx Express, Lufthansa Cargo, and UPS Airlines.
PHOTO of Crash Site-AP News
PHOTO of an MD-11F Wide-Body-UPS
