A UPS wide-body cargo plane crashed and burst into fireball shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Kentucky, on Tuesday (November 4), killing seven people, including three on board, and injuring 11 others on the ground, officials confirmed, Reuters reported.
Flames from the crashed UPS wide-body shortly before sunset ignited a series of fires in an industrial corridor adjacent to the airport, forcing authorities to suspend air traffic overnight, officials said. The crash also spread debris across two runways, and UPS said Tuesday night that the disruption “may affect” flight and international package delivery schedules.
According to Reuters, the triple-engine plane was refueling for an 8 1/2-hour flight at Honolulu Airport, Hawaii. There were three crew members on board, none of whom survived, officials confirmed.
It is the first UPS cargo plane crash since an Airbus plane crashed while landing at Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport, Alabama, in August 2013, killing both crew members (pilot and copilot).
Reuters reported that television channel WLKY showed video of Tuesday’s crash in which flames were visible as the plane took off and a fireball erupted as it hit the ground.
The cause of the fire was unknown before the plane crashed, but an investigation team is looking into the accident.
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