Story updated 11/6/25 12:30 a.m.
Black smoke billowed through the air on Tuesday evening before most of Louisville heard the news. Around 5:20 p.m., a UPS cargo aircraft en route to Hawaii apparently caught fire and crashed near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The plane, UPS Flight 2976, had three crew members on board and was carrying a full tank of fuel for its journey to Hawaii.
Currently, 12 people are dead, including a child, 15 were injured, and 16 are unaccounted for. These numbers will continue to change. Some of the injured have been released from area hospitals.
The plane involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11. According to cargo and carrier trade websites, UPS has been working since 2023 towards decommissioning its MD-11 fleet due to age. The company is moving towards the more fuel-efficient Boeing 767.
Social media exploded with images of the wreckage, and some even captured images of the actual crash. One video shared on Reddit by user Desperate-Emu4297 showed a dashcam capture of the accident alongside the reaction of the driver.
Other witnesses captured images of the fire caused by the crash.
The crash, fire, and debris field were large enough to be captured on weather radar in the area.
After the accident, Kentucky officials, including Governor Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, offered condolences and information for families searching for loved ones who might have been affected. According to Beshear’s press release, two businesses were directly affected by the crash: Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts. Both businesses were either in the process of accounting for or had accounted for their employees. No specific updates have come about regarding whether or not individuals were injured at either site.
Family members seeking information have been asked by both the Governor’s office and the Mayor’s office to avoid going to nearby hospitals. Instead, they have asked anyone looking for loved ones to go to the Victim Family Reunification Center located at the Louisville Metro Police Training Academy (2911 Taylor Blvd)
UPS released a statement soon after the accident, relaying basic crash information, and then added condolences later in the evening:
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Like many others who have covered this incident, our thoughts are with all of those affected by this incident, including families, victims, and all first responders and medical staff.
