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A UPS cargo plane with three crewmembers on board crashed Tuesday near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky. UPS Flight 2976 crashed at about 5:15 p.m. ET after departing from SDF, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and UPS. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, FAA officials said. The aircraft was loaded with 280,000 gallons of fuel at the time of the incident, leading to a massive fireball explosion, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. The Louisville Metro Police Department and Greenberg confirmed every emergency agency was responding to the crash, which happened near the UPS Worldport. TRUMP ADMIN REVOKES APPROVAL OF 13 MEXICAN AIRLINE ROUTES TO US Police said multiple people were injured, though UPS wrote in a statement it has not confirmed any injuries or fatalities. "This is an active scene with fire and debris," police wrote in an X post. "Stay away." The agency later issued an emergency shelter-in-place alert for all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River. SDF noted all arriving and departing flights are temporarily suspended, and the airfield is closed. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate, with the NTSB taking the lead. FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER CABIN CREW WAS 'KNOCKING ON THE COCKPIT DOOR' OVER COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE "Kentucky, we are aware of a reported plane crash near Louisville International Airport," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote in a statement on social media. "First responders are onsite, and we will share more information as available. Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected. We will share more soon." He later added the situation is "serious," and said he was on his way to Louisville. "Please join Rachel and me in praying for the crew of UPS flight 2976," Greenberg added in a separate social media post. "This is an incredible tragedy that our community will never forget. We are so thankful for our brave first responders who have flooded the scene to help try and control the fire and provide support for any victims on the ground." Anna McMullen, who lives seven minutes from the airport, told FOX Business her husband called her and thought "something was burning" downtown. "All you could see in the sky around the airport was black smoke in billows," McMullen said. "I heard explosions, and they are still going off, which means the plane could have hit the petroleum supply tanks." ALASKA AIRLINES RESTORES OPERATIONS AFTER WIDESPREAD TECHNOLOGY ISSUE GROUNDED FLIGHTS NATIONWIDE She added that the normal pattern for the UPS planes is to be loaded before they take off. "We have lived here 25 years and have never seen a UPS plane crash," McMullen said. "The sun has set, but the smoke is still horrible. We can still hear the explosions." Ford, which has an assembly plant nearby, confirmed to FOX Business that its facility was not affected, and that all personnel are safe. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE UPS spokesperson Karen Tomaszewski Hill told FOX Business the company will release "more facts as they become available, but the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information about the official investigation." The Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville Fire Department did not immediately respond to additional inquiries from FOX Business. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
